Narrow is the Road that Leads to Life
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. – Matthew 7:13-14
We’ve seen this week that as we follow along the paths the Lord has placed us on, He guides us when we are willing to humble ourselves before Him. We’ve seen that God upholds and sustains His children, keeping them from falling away from Him. Additionally, we saw that God rewards those who are humble in submission by bringing us to more full and complete joy, gladdening our hearts.
Yet, all of this talk of paths wraps back around to the story of Saul (who would later become Paul) on the road to Damascus. In the passage we are looking at today, Jesus says that we must enter through the small and narrow gate, along the narrow road that leads to life, which only a few will find. This seems extremely disheartening, especially considering what He says in these verses about the many people who enter through the wide gate from the broad road to destruction. Clearly, there is very little that leads to life.
This is what brings us back to the story of Saul. The path Saul was on led to destruction. This was despite his religious zeal as a Jew, despite his extremely high levels of Hebrew and Greek education, and despite his high standing in society. All he had was leading him to destruction. So God brought Him to encounter the single thing which would lead to life. This small gate is Jesus. The narrow path is the Messiah. As Jesus Himself says, He is the way, the truth, and the life, nobody comes to the Father except through Him.
So as we continue to “walk along the path” God has placed before us, we must not forget that this is not an inanimate lifeless path. This path is the now-reigning person of Jesus Christ, the One who lived, died, and rose again for us, so that we could be completely and eternally joined to The Father through Him.
Of course, this also has implications for those who do not know and experience this same Jesus that Saul came to know on the road to Damascus. Jesus is the only way to the Father. As believers, this should give us a sense of urgency for all those around us who do not know Him. In thinking of those who do not experience the life-giving oneness with Christ, we must be provoked to joyfully live the name of Jesus, worshipfully pray the name of Jesus, and confidently preach the name of Jesus, for His glory alone.
