“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.”                                                        Jesus, Matthew 7:13-14

 

Jesus asks us to do some strange things in His teachings.  Stuff like: letting someone slap you twice, giving away your clothes and leaving your parents.  Weird stuff, right? Well, in Matthew 7 Jesus gives us another weird command.  He tells us that the road to LIFE is a narrow one, and the gate that we must go through is a small one. 

Last week I has a group of high school guys question me on this passage. Why is the road narrow? If it leads to life, shouldn’t it be wide so everyone can get in? Wouldn’t there be signs pointing to the gate?  Great questions, guys!  And here’s the answer:

Imagine if you will the difference between I-40 and your driveway.  No matter how great your home is, there will always be more traffic on the highway than to get to your house. Why? Because the highway takes you where YOU want to go.  As does the road to destruction.  It’s a road that promises that you will get things your way.  Endless possibilities await you once you hit the on-ramp!  But the road that leads to your house is small.  Anyone CAN travel it, but only a few people WILL choose to travel it and experience the greatness of your home.

Jesus alerts us that the road that leads to life, eternal life, is one that is only traveled by a few. The question that I posed back to these eager high school students is the same one I ask you today: If you’ve found the road that leads to life, what are you doing to alert the highway travelers of it?  Are you living a life that is so radically different that others have to ask “where are you going?” so you can help them find the greatest destination ever?

Many of the things Jesus asks us to do lead to us being uncomfortable, but our willingness to obey Him will determine the direction of the people we influence. That’s a big responsibility…how are you doing with it?