Matthew 7:13, 14 - The Narrow or Wide Gate and Path.
Matthew 7:13, 14 (NIRV) Enter God's
kingdom through the narrow gate. The gate is large
and the road is wide that lead to death and
hell. Many people go that way. But the gate is
small and the road is narrow that lead to life.
Only a few people find it.
Matthew 7:13, 14 (NLT) You can enter
Gods Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The
highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for
the many who choose that way. But the gateway to
life is very narrow and the road is difficult,
and only a few ever find it.
COMMENTARY PEARL
The first time I remember encountering
today's passage, I was leading a Bible study for a
group of guys in my fraternity. You may recall
that I started this group as a PR move to change
our bad-boy reputation. You know, sort of the
thought that if a fraternity is hosting a Bible
study, they can't be all bad. The only problem was
that I was not yet a Christian!
So when I came to this statement by
Jesus, I hit a major wall. What in the world did he
mean? It sure sounded like he was saying that the
majority of people will go with the flow and take the
route everyone else is taking, even though it
leads to destruction. However, his followers
aren't like everybody else. They will take a more
challenging passage through the narrow gate. And waiting
for them on the other side is new life.
Jesus' words shook me up, planting seeds
that later led to my getting on my knees on a
campus softball field and inviting him into my
heart as the Lord of my life. But I've never
forgotten the wonder, fear, and longing I felt when I
first considered what it means to follow Christ
and enter through the narrow gate.
What direction are you traveling right
now? Are you on the twelve-lane interstate to
destruction? Or on the narrow path toward God?
I'm committed to following you, Lord,
even when I don't always understand where you're
taking me or how I'll get there. Today I want to
follow you through that narrow gate that leads to
new life. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel]
COMMENTARY
The two ways refer to two types of
lifestyle: the easy, comfortable, popular life, or the
difficult way of self-denial. These ways are entered
by two gates: a narrow gate of surrender or a
broad gate of self-sufficiency. True righteousness
leads to self-denial. Note in Matt. 8:18-22 that
two men turned from Christ because they failed
this test. Demas also failed this test (2 Tim.
4:10). [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
It must be admitted that, in its first
stages, the broad way is generally easy and rather
delightful. The boat launched on the flowing stream
sweeps merrily and pleasantly along, the gradient
of the road slopes so as to make walking easy,
the sun shines, and the path is filled with
bright flowers. But to a life given up to
self-indulgence, there is only one end - destruction. There
is a more excellent way, but it is too narrow
to admit the trailing garments of passionate
desire, too narrow for pride, self-indulgence,
greed, and avarice - it is the Way of the Cross,
but it leads to Life! We all want to see life -
and the remarkable thing is that those who
expect to get most out of it by self-indulgence
miss everything; whilst those who seem to curtail
their lives by following Christ, win everything.
Few find and enter this path, is the lament of
our Lord. Let us put our hand in His, that He
may lead us into the path of life. "that
shineth more and more unto the perfect day." [F. B,
Meyer; Time With God SB]
The path which I have set before you, He
said, is narrow; the gate is difficult of
entrance; for the golden rule excludes all pride and
self-seeking. There is, indeed, a wider road; but its end
is destruction. If you would climb the path of
spiritual life, you must constantly ascend; for it is
an upward way. You must go with the few; for
the multitude will choose the downward path.
In the road to death the whole race may
go, with all their worldliness, all their
selfishness, all their pride, dishonesty, and moral
debasement. There is room for every man's opinions and
doctrines, space to follow his inclinations, to do
whatever his self-love may dictate. In order to go in
the path that leads to destruction, there is no
need of searching for the way; for the gate is
wide, and the way is broad, and the feet naturally
turn into the path that ends in death.
But the way to life is narrow and the
entrance strait. If you cling to any besetting sin
you will find the way too narrow for you to
enter. Your own ways, your own will, your evil
habits and practices, must be given up if you would
keep the way of the Lord. He who would serve
Christ cannot follow the world's opinions or meet
the world's standard. Heaven's path is too
narrow for rank and riches to ride in state, too
narrow for the play of self-centered ambition, too
steep and rugged for lovers of ease to climb.
Toil, patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, poverty,
the contradiction of sinners against Himself,
was the portion of Christ, and it must be our
portion, if we ever enter the Paradise of God.
The Christian life is a battle and a
march. But the victory to be gained is not won by
human power. The field of conflict is the domain
of the heart. The battle which we have to
fight--the greatest battle that was ever fought by
man--is the surrender of self to the will of God,
the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of
love. The old nature, born of blood and of the
will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of
God. The hereditary tendencies, the former
habits, must be given up.
He who determines to enter the spiritual
kingdom will find that all the powers and passions
of an unregenerate nature, backed by the forces
of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against
him. Selfishness and pride will make a stand
against anything that would show them to be sinful.
We cannot, of ourselves, conquer the evil
desires and habits that strive for the mastery. We
cannot overcome the mighty foe who holds us in his
thrall. God alone can give us the victory. He
desires us to have the mastery over ourselves, our
own will and ways. But He cannot work in us
without our consent and co-operation. The divine
Spirit works through the faculties and powers given
to man. Our energies are required to co-operate
with God.
The victory is not won without much
earnest prayer, without the humbling of self at
every step. Our will is not to be forced into
co-operation with divine agencies, but it must be
voluntarily submitted. Were it possible to force upon
you with a hundredfold greater intensity the
influence of the Spirit of God, it would not make you
a Christian, a fit subject for heaven. The
stronghold of Satan would not be broken. The will must
be placed on the side of God's will. You are
not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes
and desires and inclinations into submission to
the will of God; but if you are "willing to be
made willing," God will accomplish the work for
you, even "casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians
10:5. Then you will "work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling. For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of His good
pleasure." Philippians 2:12, 13.
But many are attracted by the beauty of
Christ and the glory of heaven, who yet shrink from
the conditions by which alone these can become
their own. There are many in the broad way who are
not fully satisfied with the path in which they
walk. They long to break from the slavery of sin,
and in their own strength they seek to make a
stand against their sinful practices. They look
toward the narrow way and the strait gate; but
selfish pleasure, love of the world, pride,
unsanctified ambition, place a barrier between them and
the Saviour. To renounce their own will, their
chosen objects of affection or pursuit, requires a
sacrifice at which they hesitate and falter and turn
back. Many "will seek to enter in, and shall not
be able." Luke 13:24. They desire the good,
they make some effort to obtain it; but they do
not choose it; they have not a settled purpose
to secure it at the cost of all things.
The only hope for us if we would overcome
is to unite our will to God's will and work in
co-operation with Him, hour by hour and day by day. We
cannot retain self and yet enter the kingdom of
God. If we ever attain unto holiness, it will be
through the renunciation of self and the reception
of the mind of Christ. Pride and
self-sufficiency must be crucified. Are we willing to pay the
price required of us? Are we willing to have our
will brought into perfect conformity to the will
of God? Until we are willing, the transforming
grace of God cannot be manifest upon us.
MB138-143
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20140421-1752.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
