13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are
many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and
difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
The Lord Jesus now connects not only what He just said about doing to others as we would have done to us, but also all of His commandments and teachings, telling us all to: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” Thus the Kingdom road is not a broad road, but a narrow and difficult road, that requires our ongoing faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; as well as our own self-denial and self discipline as we seek to follow Him in discipleship and pursue His Will for our lives. For that is the narrow gate that the Lord Jesus Christ says we who believe in Him must enter His Kingdom by.
In contrast to that then is walk according to course of this world with people who live their lives by their own values and ideas; even their own ideas about God our Father. And so whether these are the Godless values and pursuits that sinners pursue, and which we once in our ignorance walked in and pursued, or this is just plain indifference to the love and life of God found exclusively in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, to live life “on one’s own terms” is just to enter by the wide gate, and be on the broad road, that leads to destruction, eternal destruction, and sadly that is the path of life that many will choose to follow.
Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ warns us all not to follow this world’s deceitful course of life: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Notice that only few find it, (find it and continue on in it) because there are man who would rather enter by the wide gate which embraces all beliefs, all values, basically is "inclusive" about all things regardless of what God’s Word says about them, and so for them the narrow gate is either hidden from them (John 12:37-40), or they find it too “narrow” for them, and so they don’t enter by it, because looking at it from a distance they perceive to walk in Christ’s way of life will be difficult, and will require that they make changes in their own lives. Yet to enter by the narrow gate is to be exceedingly and abundantly blessed and privileged way beyond measure because that means one has found eternal life by faith In the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and is now on the transformative journey that God works in and through all His redeemed people, glorifying His Son and sanctifying our persons by His Spirit in us (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 4:4-5; 10:3-4; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7 etc.).
Commentary
Vs.
13
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are
many who go in by it.”
The Lord Jesus now connects not only what He just said about doing to others as we would have done to us, but also all of His commandments and teachings, telling us all to: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” Thus the Kingdom road is not a broad road, but a narrow and difficult road, that requires our ongoing faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; as well as our own self-denial and self discipline as we seek to follow Him in discipleship and pursue His Will for our lives. For that is the narrow gate that the Lord Jesus Christ says we who believe in Him must enter His Kingdom by.
In contrast to that then is walk according to course of this world with people who live their lives by their own values and ideas; even their own ideas about God our Father. And so whether these are the Godless values and pursuits that sinners pursue, and which we once in our ignorance walked in and pursued, or this is just plain indifference to the love and life of God found exclusively in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, to live life “on one’s own terms” is just to enter by the wide gate, and be on the broad road, that leads to destruction, eternal destruction, and sadly that is the path of life that many will choose to follow.
Vs.
14
“Because
narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life,
and there are few who find it.”
Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ warns us all not to follow this world’s deceitful course of life: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Notice that only few find it, (find it and continue on in it) because there are man who would rather enter by the wide gate which embraces all beliefs, all values, basically is "inclusive" about all things regardless of what God’s Word says about them, and so for them the narrow gate is either hidden from them (John 12:37-40), or they find it too “narrow” for them, and so they don’t enter by it, because looking at it from a distance they perceive to walk in Christ’s way of life will be difficult, and will require that they make changes in their own lives. Yet to enter by the narrow gate is to be exceedingly and abundantly blessed and privileged way beyond measure because that means one has found eternal life by faith In the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and is now on the transformative journey that God works in and through all His redeemed people, glorifying His Son and sanctifying our persons by His Spirit in us (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 4:4-5; 10:3-4; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7 etc.).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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