“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
(Matthew 7:14, ESV)
(Matthew 7:14, ESV)
Recently, Space X made amazing breakthroughs regarding their boosters. To save money and protect their investment in space booster rockets, Space X devised a way for the boosters to be “caught” in huge gantry arms that would protect the booster and enable it to be used for further flights. The challenges to do this were daunting. That’s why it had never been attempted before. For example, boosters weigh between 160 and 200 tons depending on the loadout. If they come down too fast, the gantry arms will be crushed. If the engines fail to fire, the booster will crash into the earth. If the engine burn is too short, the booster will wreck the gantry. If the engine burns too long, the booster will run out of fuel and crash into the gantry. One engineer wrote on social media that after flying some 20 kilometers or more, the booster rocket can only be a few centimeters off on landing, or everything will go bad. WOW! They can only be a few centimeters off after 20 kilometers of travel at way more than the speed of sound and with the wind blowing and the atmospheric pressures! Engineers are fully aware that you can’t make too many errors in the booster landings, or everything will fall apart for safe booster retrieval!
There are many things in life that require very precise and careful construction or movement with little to no errors. If those things are not kept on the right path or designed with close tolerance, they won’t work. Some robotic parts, for example, must be manufactured to within a few thousandths of an inch to work effectively. Metals for nuclear reactors need to be constructed with even greater precision. Even the cylinders for modern cars need to be put together with instruments that measure to three or four decimal places, or they will disintegrate under normal loads. Some things in life require narrow margins and allow for little error.
You may not realize this, but the spiritual life also requires strict adherence to what is right. If there are too many sinful errors in your life and no repentance or forgiveness, you’d never be allowed into Heaven! If you go through life thinking you can drift off into sin or go overboard in worldliness, you are mistaken. Anything that veers you away from God is liable to shipwreck your spiritual life and lead to catastrophic consequences for your health, holiness, or future.
Jesus knew how difficult it is to navigate one’s way as a human being. That is why he spent so much time teaching His followers and being an example to emulate. In our scripture reading for today, Jesus said that being faithful involves a proverbial “narrow gate”. This scripture says only “a few” who travel through that holy gateway “find life” (Matthew 7:14). The proverbial “wide gate” is easy to go through. It “leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matthew 7:13, ESV). In essence, Jesus is saying that only by following through very careful (narrow) choices will you find heaven. Many choose instead to go through life, choosing paths that may be easy to walk but lead to destruction.
In the verses surrounding the scripture for today, Jesus gave examples of things that can throw you off course in your relationship with God. These “wide gates” will set you on a path that leads to spiritual or moral decay, and even physical destruction. For example, a judgmental streak can make you unreasonable or bitter (Matthew 7:1-4). Hypocrisy can mess up your relationship with God (Matthew 7:5). Traumatic events can shake your faith (Matthew 7:24-27). False prophets will attempt to make your veer off course from the path of righteousness (Matthew 7:15). Sometimes, it’s the littlest things that can throw you off balance.
A good friend of mine left for college. She was excited to start this new chapter in her life. She was very intelligent, thoughtful, and a joy to be around. She was a leader in the church youth group and a trusted friend to many. When she got to college, she wanted badly to fit in. Sadly, the group she chose to be with was untrustworthy. At a party sponsored by her “friends” on campus, she was given a drink tainted with Ketamine. When she awoke hours later, she had been raped.
For many years, this friend of mine was the epitome of faith. She was an example to others. She was entrusted with the care of children. When her rape occurred, it sent her into a downward spiral. She second-guessed her choices. She began to question God why this happened to her. She became fearful and retreated into depression. If it had not been for faithful friends to work through it with her, she may have given up on God and her faith. One party with untrustworthy friends, one tainted drink, one night of poor choices almost cost her everything she loved most. It may only take one thoughtless moment to wreck your spiritual life.
There are many people traveling through wide gateways in this world that lead to destruction. Few choose to follow those narrow pathways that keep you close with God. You have many examples of those who have followed the wide path of destruction. There are Hollywood stars who have chosen a life of debauchery. There are politicians who have lost their way, taking the wide road full of under the table dealings and bribes and worse. Many alcoholics have chosen drink over family. Too many people desire wealth more than holiness. The wide path that leads to destruction is easy to take but deadly in many ways.
The world beckons you to make that easy choice that leads to destruction. Jesus desires you take the narrow gate that leads to life. Each day, you make a choice of which gate to take, which path to follow. I pray you choose wisely. Your joy, your peace, your future, and those you love all depend on the gates you pass through and the decisions you make.
There are many things in life that require very precise and careful construction or movement with little to no errors. If those things are not kept on the right path or designed with close tolerance, they won’t work. Some robotic parts, for example, must be manufactured to within a few thousandths of an inch to work effectively. Metals for nuclear reactors need to be constructed with even greater precision. Even the cylinders for modern cars need to be put together with instruments that measure to three or four decimal places, or they will disintegrate under normal loads. Some things in life require narrow margins and allow for little error.
You may not realize this, but the spiritual life also requires strict adherence to what is right. If there are too many sinful errors in your life and no repentance or forgiveness, you’d never be allowed into Heaven! If you go through life thinking you can drift off into sin or go overboard in worldliness, you are mistaken. Anything that veers you away from God is liable to shipwreck your spiritual life and lead to catastrophic consequences for your health, holiness, or future.
Jesus knew how difficult it is to navigate one’s way as a human being. That is why he spent so much time teaching His followers and being an example to emulate. In our scripture reading for today, Jesus said that being faithful involves a proverbial “narrow gate”. This scripture says only “a few” who travel through that holy gateway “find life” (Matthew 7:14). The proverbial “wide gate” is easy to go through. It “leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matthew 7:13, ESV). In essence, Jesus is saying that only by following through very careful (narrow) choices will you find heaven. Many choose instead to go through life, choosing paths that may be easy to walk but lead to destruction.
In the verses surrounding the scripture for today, Jesus gave examples of things that can throw you off course in your relationship with God. These “wide gates” will set you on a path that leads to spiritual or moral decay, and even physical destruction. For example, a judgmental streak can make you unreasonable or bitter (Matthew 7:1-4). Hypocrisy can mess up your relationship with God (Matthew 7:5). Traumatic events can shake your faith (Matthew 7:24-27). False prophets will attempt to make your veer off course from the path of righteousness (Matthew 7:15). Sometimes, it’s the littlest things that can throw you off balance.
A good friend of mine left for college. She was excited to start this new chapter in her life. She was very intelligent, thoughtful, and a joy to be around. She was a leader in the church youth group and a trusted friend to many. When she got to college, she wanted badly to fit in. Sadly, the group she chose to be with was untrustworthy. At a party sponsored by her “friends” on campus, she was given a drink tainted with Ketamine. When she awoke hours later, she had been raped.
For many years, this friend of mine was the epitome of faith. She was an example to others. She was entrusted with the care of children. When her rape occurred, it sent her into a downward spiral. She second-guessed her choices. She began to question God why this happened to her. She became fearful and retreated into depression. If it had not been for faithful friends to work through it with her, she may have given up on God and her faith. One party with untrustworthy friends, one tainted drink, one night of poor choices almost cost her everything she loved most. It may only take one thoughtless moment to wreck your spiritual life.
There are many people traveling through wide gateways in this world that lead to destruction. Few choose to follow those narrow pathways that keep you close with God. You have many examples of those who have followed the wide path of destruction. There are Hollywood stars who have chosen a life of debauchery. There are politicians who have lost their way, taking the wide road full of under the table dealings and bribes and worse. Many alcoholics have chosen drink over family. Too many people desire wealth more than holiness. The wide path that leads to destruction is easy to take but deadly in many ways.
The world beckons you to make that easy choice that leads to destruction. Jesus desires you take the narrow gate that leads to life. Each day, you make a choice of which gate to take, which path to follow. I pray you choose wisely. Your joy, your peace, your future, and those you love all depend on the gates you pass through and the decisions you make.