Matthew 7:13-14. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
This well-known parable of Jesus is so short in length yet so significant in substance. Perhaps the most striking aspect of it is to be found in the last few words which concern the small constricted gate and the narrow way. Jesus told His hearers, ‘there are few who find it’.
Matthew chapters 5 through 7 contain the longest recorded unbroken discourse of Jesus in the Bible. Those gathered immediately around Him at the time were His dear disciples, yet there were many others also there who also listened to His words with amazement. In these three chapters there are many revelations of heavenly wisdom from which countless numbers have received great benefit since His words were spoken. Almost hidden among these many treasures of wisdom are verses 13 and 14 of chapter 7. This short parable stands unique. There is no other like it. Though brief, it possesses a profound and vital message to all who seek Jesus with all their heart and choose to follow Him fully.
In this parable the Lord Jesus compares together a wide gate leading into a broad way whose destiny, for those who choose it, is destruction and a small gate leading into a narrow way whose destiny, for those who find it and choose it, is life. Which gate we enter and travel along will be a matter of our choice.
This parable of the Lord Jesus makes abundantly clear that the great multitude of those who believe enter the wide gate onto the broad way whose end is ‘destruction’. Note that its destination is not Hell. When Jesus returns to reign forever, all who have believed unto salvation must appear before His judgment seat to find the things that they did while in their human body. Those who chose the wide gate will face the burning up by the fire of God of their deeds which will be found to be wood, hay and stubble. Casualness, complacency and worldliness are characteristic of so many that choose the wide gate and the broad way.
Perhaps the seed planted in those who choose this broad way found soil that produced the thorns of ‘the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches’, thus causing such ones to be unfruitful. Their own works will not stand the test of the fire of God however well-motivated they may have been.
Yet, for those who seek the Lord with all their heart, the small gate will be revealed to them that leads into the narrow way. Those who find it and enter by that small gate and who walk the narrow way will find fullness of the divine life. The fire of God passing over their deeds while in their human body will be found to be gold, silver and precious stones.
Those who find the small constricted gate pass through it in Jesus leaving all their possessions, dreams and self-reliance behind. Their trust is alone in Jesus. These have no confidence in themselves to walk the narrow way. They come to Him and take His yoke upon them with their eyes upon no other. As they walk in lock-step with Jesus they are given the priceless treasure of coming to know Him. Such ones deeply sense that they are part of a company of His own, seen or unseen, who are proceeding hand in hand to the destiny and destination of their heart’s desire – their beloved Bridegroom.
2 Corinthians 3:16.‘….but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away’. The good news is that it is never too late for those proceeding down the broad way to seek the Lord with all their heart and have the small gate of God’s choice revealed to them that they may enter by it into the narrow way ‘that leads to life’.
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