A Word from God's Word

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13, 14

The greatest sermon ever preached appears in Matthew 5, 6, 7:Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount". And as Jesus moves towards the conclusion of the sermon, He uses a series of contrasting pictures to teach His lessons in a very powerful way. Two treasures. Two eyes. Two masters. Two trees. Two houses. And in Matthew 7:13, 14, a brief but very poignant contrast: Two ways. Each way or path has a gate and a destination. One way has a gate that is narrow and difficult to enter; the other has a wide, easy gate. The path with the narrow gate is a very difficult way; the path with the broad gate is an easy way. The narrow, difficult path leads to life; the broad, easy path leads to destruction.

When Jesus speaks of the path leading to life, He means eternal life with Him in our heavenly home. But why is the path that leads there so narrow and difficult? Answer: Because it requires turning our backs on what this world has to offer and clinging only to Christ. It requires treasuring Him over all the shiny trinkets of this world. In that way, it is a hard path, a difficult way, but oh, so very worth it. And eternally so.

Pastor Craig Montgomery, Cranbrook Fellowship Baptist

Pastor Craig publishes  "A Word from God's Word" weekly in the "Kootenay News Advertiser".