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“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.” (Matt 7:13-14 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
Is Christianity too narrow?
“You Christians are so narrow-minded!” This sentiment is a common criticism I’ve heard many times and even said when I was much younger. But is Christianity a narrow-minded faith?
I grew up in a nominally Christian middle-class family. I’d say our family was culturally Christian because we held to general Christian principles. My dad would attend a Christian Scientist church, while my mom attended an Episcopal church.
In our area, these two churches were a block apart. Sometimes I would accompany one or the other when they went.
As I grew into adolescence and our family dynamics became more dysfunctional, I was enrolled in a catechism class at the local Episcopal church. Soon after my confirmation service, I walked away from Christianity.
It was the ‘60s, a time of social upheaval. I graduated high school in the midst of a cultural sea change and dove right into it. Thus began a meandering journey in search of myself, my own significance, the meaning of life, and a quest for spiritual truth.
My spiritual journey included a lot of side trips (no pun intended). It was not a direct route but circuitous. I sampled various philosophies and religions including the cultural and moral values and practices of that era.
Somehow, I retained my nominal Christian moorings as a reference point on my journey. Jesus kept surfacing as a constant point of reference as I investigated the various spiritual offerings popular at that time.
I fell into a routine of reading the Bible every morning along with other quasi-spiritual practices. This continued for about two years as I wandered through life.
Finally, I came to a decision point and challenged God to make Himself known to me in some way. I hiked up into the forest of the surrounding mountains to seek a sign from God but found none that day.
Not long after my challenge to God, I came across these two verses in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 7:13-14) and everything changed.
Insights to consider
The completion of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount challenges us to make a decision between two contrasted choices with two very different endpoints.
We need to choose between two different gates that lead to two different paths with two different destinations. We also need to discern the difference between true and false prophets, as well as, two different associations or relationships with the Lord.
Finally, we are challenged to be either a doer of His teaching or a hearer only. But the consequences of each choice are radically different.
The need to make a decision between the two gates and two paths is what challenged me. I had challenged God to make Himself known to me, but now I saw this as His challenge to me of which gate and path I would choose.
The need to make the right choice between two options with contrasting endpoints reaches back to the Garden of Eden. In the middle of the garden, where all kinds of beautiful trees grew with delicious fruit, God also placed two significant trees—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:9).
When God placed the first man in the garden, God told the man he was free to eat from all of the trees but warned against eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he would die (Gen 2:15-17). This was before the first woman was created and given to the man as his wife and partner in life.
Of course, if you know the story, you know the wrong choice was made which changed the course of history (Gen 3). Since then, each of us must choose between good and evil on a continual basis each day of our lives.
True Wisdom
This brings us back to the question of whether or not Christianity is a narrow-minded faith. Yes, it is but not really. It depends on how you view Christianity.
If we view Christianity as a religious institution, then a case could be made for narrow mindedness. But the Christian Faith is based on a personal relationship with Jesus by faith because of His grace.
This admonition to enter the narrow gate and avoid the wide gate needs to be understood from its original context. Jesus spoke to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who looked to Moses as their ultimate human leader.
God promised the people of Israel, while Moses was alive, that another prophet would come like Moses but greater than him. The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus and His message were greater than Moses (Deut 18:15, 18; Heb 3: 1-6).
The Jewish leaders expanded the Law of Moses with their many interpretations over several centuries, as noted before. By their many added interpretations, they made the Jewish faith a more broad and religious path than God intended.
The teaching of Jesus throughout the Sermon on the Mount makes clear the citizens of God’s Kingdom are called to be in a relationship with God rather than just trying to keep various commandments.
Jesus, the only Son of God, came as the Father’s direct and personal representation on earth and spoke the words the Father gave Him to say (John 1:1, 14, 17-18; 12:9; Col 1:15-20).
Jesus also made it clear that He was both the Door (or Gate) we need to go through and the Way to the Father in heaven (John 10:7, 9; 14:6-9).
Looking at these two verses within the context Jesus spoke them and based on what Jesus declares in other Scriptures, it might read like this—
True citizenship in the Kingdom of God comes through relationship with Me (Jesus). If you continue through the wide gate and path of religion, it will destroy you and many will continue on that path.
But if you follow Me (Jesus), I’ll bring you into the presence of the Father. This will require a commitment that many people will resist.
When God personally challenged me through these verses, I accepted the challenge. I realized how I’d been going through the wide gate of human philosophy and religion in my spiritual search. So, I chose the narrow gate and hard road because I wanted the life God offered by grace.
Becoming a Christian may appear narrow in an exclusive sense but only because it is a relationship with Jesus rather than a religious approach to God.
Just as in a faithful marriage commitment, Jesus calls us into a similar relationship with Him. It is a commitment of trust when we choose the life Jesus offers us. He is ever-faithful to us and expects us to be faithful to Him.
Have you made the choice between the wide and narrow gates? We all make this decision either intentionally or by following everyone else.
Reflection—
True citizenship in the Kingdom of God comes through a relationship with Jesus by faith, but the wide gate and path of religion lead to destruction. The Lord’s promise of life requires each person to make a faithful commitment to the Lord and continue in it regardless of how difficult and lonely it may seem.
Prayer Focus—
If you’ve never made a conscious choice to go through the narrow gate of faith in Jesus but want to do so, then ask God to give you faith to believe and follow through on your commitment to Him.
Devo Scripture Text
“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.”
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.“
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
(Matthew 7:13-29 NIV84)
