The Problem with Narrow

There is no other way. 

That’s our problem isn’t it.  That’s what makes this Christianity thing, this Kingdom thing so hard, isn’t it?  The narrowness of it all.

I can tell you that was my problem on the rock that day.  I wanted any other option besides having to leave my foothold and leap to the next ledge.  I didn’t like the narrowness of needing to trust all of me to one scary option.

And in many ways that is the problem many of face in taking the leap to Kingdom living.  We balk at the narrowness of the way.  Jesus?  Sure.  Only Jesus? 
Jesus is really the only gate, the only entry point, the only way to the life that God intends for his creation? 

How about the huge crowds of people who are not following Jesus?  What do we do with about a billion Chinese who aren’t followers of Jesus? What about a billion Hindus in India and another 2 billion or so others who are happily marching along in the throng that is “going there own way” and claiming to find all kinds of roads to the spiritual whatever that we all are looking for?

To believe that Jesus is the only one with the words of the Kingdom, that Jesus is the only one that leads to real true eternal life, that Jesus is the only one who is the rock to build our lives on, is so…well, narrow. 

What is interesting is that Jesus never explains or defends his brash assertion, he never solves our problem with his exclusive claim.  But, this is exactly the point of the parable in v. 13-14.  Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Jesus tells his followers that following him is going to be hard because it is narrow.  The imagery here is one of a city like Jerusalem that had both narrow gates for foot traffic and big wide gates for commerce, for carts coming to market, or for armies to enter.  But on festival days and the like when crowds would come to the city the throngs would sweep in through the wide gates.  It was easy to get swept away in the crowd.  And in Jesus’ day, as much as today, there were all kinds of options for the earnest religious seeker. 

What are the characteristics of the wide road?  It seems easy, smooth, effortless.  Like drafting on a bike in a peleton.  You are just pulled along by the sheer momentum of the pack.  It’s filled with lots of people and entertaining teachers who are saying nice things but in reality are fleecing the flock for their own gain.  It is filled with those who give honor to Jesus, (“Oh Lord, Lord. Oh Teacher, Oh wise Jesus…”) And who are even committed to doing good things, great things, even miracles, maybe, but really live to go their own way.  The wide road is for everyone who is interested in doing everything but the one thing that is really necessary. 

Look at v. 21 with me: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Doing the will of Jesus’ Father.  That’s the narrow gate.  Living each day with one purpose: To fulfill the prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

Okay, so what exactly does that mean?  What does it mean to “do the will of Jesus’ Father in heaven” really?  Isn’t that hard to figure out?  We’re talking “the will of God” here.  This is a mystery, isn’t it?

Actually, no.  Which is where we will pick up next post.

Comments

[Brian Russell]

Great series on the Matthew 5-7. Matthew is so raw. The essence of following Jesus is radical commitment. It is striking the extent to which Matthew's portrait of Jesus and discipleship comes as shock to all of us who have grown up in the "Christian" West.

[Bob AuBuchon]

I am astounded at how I (we) convince and conjole myself that there is a better way to walk than that of Christ. Believe in Him, yes I do, but follow Him is all more demanding than mere belief. Yes, I can agree that the persuasion of the day is too often a walk contrary to the way Christ desires to lead me. His words are simple and yet so hard to follow. I am like that of a Robert Frost who sighs for not having travelled the road not taken. Thank you for the post, I am challenged.