The Narrow Gate
What’s easier?
Lounging on your couch or hiking up a mountain? Scarfing down a candy bar or cooking a healthy meal? Complaining about a problem or working diligently to solve it? Saving your hard-earned money or spending it all in one night?
Just because something is easy doesn’t mean it's what's best.
Jesus knew this. In fact, He often chose the harder road with purpose over an easy one with no meaning. He said:
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
Though Jesus beckons the entire world, His invitation is also exclusive. Because all paths, all religions, and all good intentions do not lead to God.
Jesus isn’t implying that we can earn our own salvation by searching the hardest or climbing the highest or praying the longest to find some elusive gate. Instead, Jesus makes it clear in John 10:7, saying, “I am the gate…”
The way to the one true God, the Creator of this world and the Sustainer of your life, is through Jesus Christ—who loves you, gave His life for you, and was raised from the dead so that you could live.
You can’t earn His love or salvation, but you can accept His gift of grace and enter through the narrow gate.
Yes, it’s easier to scroll social media than to think about the deeper meaning of life. It’s easier to stay busy and distracted than to confess and repent of your sins. It’s easier to dismiss God altogether than to trust Him with your soul.
But the harder road is worth it. The narrow gate leads to life, and there is no other way than our Savior, Jesus Christ.
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for ...
“Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, ...