Scary Things Jesus Said: Part 2
Ok. Here is a tough one for you. Jesus said:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.
I don’t know about you, but squeezing through a narrow gate sounds pretty challenging to this girl. I can’t even squeeze into my jeans these days. But it gets better! Not really. It gets worse. Read this:
And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:23-24
Do these words make you say “Yikes?!!” I had some students of mine approach me about these very scriptures, which took me by surprise because, as a convert to the faith, I intuitively understood what the Lord was saying. I had been romping through the wide gate and down the broad way all my life. I didn’t know any other way.
After receiving Christ, I knew I had found another way — the right way — and never gave a thought to the possibility that other believers might find His words scary. But then I wasn’t raised with lots of religious rules and regs. I was raised by wolves, metaphorically speaking.
Let’s put to bed the fear that you, as a believer, might be missing the narrow gate and constricted way. Jesus explains His words here in John 10:7-9.
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
And again, He makes it clear in John 14:6:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Now, I want you to think about the people Jesus was addressing. Who was in His audience? There were the everyday people, mostly Jewish, and the devout religious clergy of that time. Those who were “out” because of birth or failure to follow the religious rules and those who believed themselves “in” because of birth and a strict adherence to law. Everyone was measuring their acceptability by the performance (behavior) ruler. Everyone was failing, of course, but some didn’t realize it.
Jesus was announcing that performance isn’t the way. That He is the way and that there is NO other way. That makes it a narrow and constricted way in this fallen world of ours.
Now let’s add another layer: The will of My father.
“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 will enter.” Matthew 7:21
Please don’t start biting your nails. Instead, ask this: What is the will of the Father? Jesus tells us in John 6:40:
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Dearest believer, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, then you have found the narrow gate and entered the constricted way. Keep following Him the best you know how. And know this, that in all your messy imperfection you are loved and acceptable to the Father because you have kissed the Son.
God bless,
Susan
Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 2:12
