The disciple’s hillside class, taught by their rabbi, Jesus, is drawing to a close. It began with an intriguing yet perplexing list of blessings and is concluding with a series of contrasts. According to Matthew’s account, their teacher talks about two trees and two fruits (good and bad); he talks about two builders (wise and foolish) and two foundations (rock and sand). But before he contrasts trees and fruits and house foundations, he talks about two gates, two roads, two groups, and two destinations.
“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)
The challenge? The choice. When sermons on mountains outside or stages inside draw to a close, it’s not uncommon to call for a commitment. And generally the decision requested is between two clear-cut options, just a couple of choices that have dramatically different outcomes. Robert Frost penned the poetic contrast: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
I understand there is a very important choice to be made.
I’m not sure I’ve always understood what the choice really is.
Have you ever been scripturally assaulted by someone (most often an angry-faced, high-volume, frantically pacing preacher-type) who was poised with both barrels loaded to launch the attack on the wide-gate, broad-road, big-crowd heading to hell? As I recall, the destruction-bound group is often categorized as either blatantly immoral, doctrinally deceived, or just incredibly ignorant. By crystal clear contrast, the narrow way folks (most often admiring friends of the assaulter) are devoted to a small but safe and very, very, very narrow view of the few who stay on the path that leads to ethereal angels instead of eternal agony. This approach is often tied to the next verse (7:15) that offers a warning about false prophets who will lead you astray. But what if it’s greater golden meaning flows from the verse right before (7:12) that speaks of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you?
What if love is the narrow way? What if God (who is love) is simply trying to get us to see that the narrow way demands we release all the baggage we don’t need yet continue to lug around? When the rich young ruler went away sad (unwilling to release the luggage of his riches), Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19: 23, 24) Now that’s narrow! If there’s a turnstile at the pearly gates, you evidently can’t go through it clutching extra stuff.
What if love is the narrow way of self-denial and self-sacrifice that shapes and squeezes us so thoroughly we fit well on the path that leads to life and the Lord? If love is the narrow way in our world today, indeed there are few who find it. The Bright and Morning Star (more reliable than OnStar) warns of congested conditions on Stingy Street and Apathetic Avenue. Avoid the crowd. Take a right turn to Lover’s Lane. Park there awhile and greet the world with a holy kiss.
Dennis Lynn
