The Wide Or Narrow Gate

Recently, I had a discussion with our little Youngs,( the ones 14 and below), about

Matthew 7:13-14. You know, the one about entering through the wide or narrow gate? That was fun!!!

When I think about this passage it often baffles me. “That’s simple! Narrow gate, yes. Wide gate, no! Got it!” But it really is not that simple right?

There were also two words that captured our conversation. Those were the words easy and hard.

The Greek translation for the word easy is: facile, convenient, simple and ready.

The Greek translation for the word hard is: loudly, strongly, mightily, forte, and keenly.

These words are so rich and powerful, and should help us with why this choice is so difficult for some to make!

“For the gate is wide and the way is easy”

This way is EASY! I don’t know about you, but I jump at the opportunity to do an easier task throughout my day. Hey I have a lot going on. So, the InstaPot and Air Fryer were created specifically for me, I think! The rice cooker takes a lot of the guess work out, and Pinterest is a gift from God, I’m sure! Need a gift for my brother….. Pinterest! Easy is just….. easier….. Right? But is it always better?

I looked up the word facile, from the Greek translation of easy and here’s what it said: appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial. This person is not real. This person is...weak. (I didn't want to say it) They put in no ‘real’ work for anything. They love convenience, they love simple, and they love for everything to be ready when they need or want it.

Superficial: appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely.

Let’s take porn for example. An ever growing addiction of so many. Men, women, and children alike. Why do you think porn is so addicting? Well, because it’s easy of course!! It’s quite convenient. With one click of the mouse all of your fantasies can come true. It’s simple. Normally you can have this “relationship” without anyone ever even knowing . It’s ready. 24 hours 7 days a week, your dream girl, or dream guy is ready for you to watch whatever act you would like to see them preform. This is facile. You, to everyone else, wife, husband, parents, may seem neat and put together. But in fact are ignoring the complexities of an issue. Oh, what a really ‘BIG’ issue an addiction to porn is.

Many will go through

You, me, we aren’t alone when wanting to sometimes take the easier route. No, the bible says that MANY will go through the wide gate, and take the EASY road. Many will spend their entire lives chasing the superficial reality of convenience, simplicity, and on the ready lifestyle. Yet, scripture says that this easy life, this wide gate, wide enough for the masses, leads to destruction. If some of us don’t know what that means, it means HELL ya’ll, and many will gladly walk through these gates. “But, believers will be saved” some may say. Yes, but superficial, only want simple, professing believers, WILL NOT!

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard"

A word that stood out in this translation was.... every word actually, but I’ll define forte, which means: a thing at which someone excels. Ok, let’s pause. Hard to me is simply... hard. Like, difficult, not worth the effort, don’t want to have to do the hard thing, right? But to translate this word from the Greek, you would think that the hard task is made for real warriors. People who have what it takes to get the job done. I mean, LOUDLY, STRONGLY, MIGHILY, ONE WHO EXCELS. These aren’t weak sounding words. With that, I would say that the narrow path and gate are not at all for the weak. It’s for the strong, the brave, those who are able to endure, the SAVED! These characteristics are only found in a son or daughter of God. You can’t and won’t go down the narrow road, no matter if you attend church, pay tithes, and feed the homeless weekly, if you have not been saved by Christ. This road is for believers, who through Him, are able to lay down their lives and die to themselves, to live strictly for Him. We're also told from scripture, that this is the gate that leads to life! Life everlasting. Eternal life with God!

A Difficult Choice

After looking at these two words, I think we can all understand why the choice isn’t as easy as some make it seem. The wide gate is for those who love life. Those who love the fact that they can have it all while here on this earth. Those who love the easy road. Those who jump at the thought of convenience. Those who don’t want to work hard but hardly work. (Isn’t that what’s said when people talk about making money?) This gate is enticing. Just like that short skirt, or buff body walking into work every day. It’s so easy to just go to lunch together right, no one will know. This lifestyle is not that easy to just give up, and easy is what this person lives for.

The narrow gate means death. Someone must die and that someone is us. We must die. We have to suffer; we have to endure. All of this in order to walk through the narrow gate. You see, these people know that this life isn’t what they are living for. They know that they will never have it all while here on this earth. They despise the easy road. They work out their own salvation; and earnestly serve, not expecting any compensation. This gate isn’t as enticing. I mean, who willingly wants to die? It’s so much more difficult to keep your eyes off of the woman’s butt, or the man’s chest, and at home on your spouse, when everyone at work is whispering in your ear how much that person only has eyes for you. But this is what this person died for.

Just like the words easy and hard, the examples above are completely different. I may or may not have made the choice much easier to make. But it really shouldn’t be an easy choice. It should be hard. Christ says you need to count the cost before following Him. Luke 14:33. This is a difficult choice, yes. It should be! However, this is the most important choice that you will ever make. It’s the choice between life or death! Please, I beg you, CHOOSE LIFE!!!

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Be Faithful, Be Free

E. Young