Matthew 7:13 ( ESV )
13“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.
o
Erdman
states, “There are 3 main contrast brought up in this passage. 1. Wide and
narrow gate. 2. Death and life. 3. Few and many.
o
Enter-This
has the idea of the Lord begging us to go this way. He does not want anyone to
perish but rather that all should come to repentance.
o
Narrow
Gate-The idea of a tight fit that has obstacles and is not easy to go through.
(Ex: My paranoia with dollar stores and their aisles. Caving days and going
through narrow passages and climbing up chimneys with a rope.)
o
Why
the idea of narrow? It is through Jesus alone that we can get to Heaven.
Secondly, as Warren Wiersbe puts it, “Did your profession of faith cost you
anything? If not it was not a true profession.”
·
Wide-The
other gate will look attractive. It is spread out flat and wide. (Ex. The old
song, “Don’t fence me in.”) This is the road most travelled on and it has been
trodden down by many who have gone on before you. It is easier, more acceptable
and people are lured in by its comfort.
·
In
context I like what the Bible Knowledge Commentary has to say, “Jesus is
talking quite a bit about the outward righteousness of the Pharisees and those
who listened to them as they would lead them down the road to destruction.”
·
This
is as we see in the passage a road that leads to destruction. The words used
for destruction here have the idea of Ruin or loss, damnable, perdition or
waste. This is where this path will lead you.
·
Many-The
vast majority will go down this way. There is an abundance of company to found
upon this road. This would be the most natural way to go. Eerdmans: “It is not
difficult to be lost just follow the crowd.”
·
The
scriptures say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the
way to death.” Prov. 14:12
·
Salvation
is by grace alone but it was never meant to be easy to accept.
Matthew 7:14 ( ESV )
Ø Once again the idea of narrow has the
idea of to crowd, afflict, suffer tribulation and trouble. The Christian life
will not be an easy one. Don’t believe the phrase, “It’s so easy.” Jesus way
was about inward transformation not just religion so that we could have eternal
life.
Ø This narrow gate though will lead us
away from the path that would lead us to destruction.
Ø Life-God wants to offer us life not
death. John 3:16-17 esp. v. 17 “For God sent His son into the world not to
condemn the world but that the world through Him might have life.” He wants us
to turn away from our path that leads to destruction and go on the path that
leads to life. John. 14:6 He is the Way.
Ø Find it-Has the idea of to obtain it
or to see. For many who are lost they are spiritually blind and cannot see
because they are blinded by the god of this world. II Cor. 4:3-4
Ø Few-Literally the word means PUNY.
A similar
passage to this can be found in Luke 13:22-30 But instead of a gate he talks
about a narrow door that has been shut.
Ø Verse 24 puts it in these terms, “
Strive to enter through the narrow door, Many will seek to enter and will not
be able.” The idea of coming by faith and by faith alone is so foreign to some
that it is impossible for them to even be able to conceive of that idea. (It
must be something I do becomes their thinking.)
Ø The people want in but the Lord says,
“I do not know where you come from and depart from me all you workers of evil.”
They will find weeping, gnashing of teeth and see their forefathers being taken
into the kingdom, along with even the Gentiles taking their place in the
kingdom. But they will be placed on the outside in a place called Hell.
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