Jesus makes an observation that runs counter to a culture that says everyone is right and no one's truth is any more important than another’s truth. The Lord says:
“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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV).
There are some reasons we can eliminate right off the bat as to why few will find this path:
1. It’s not because the Lord doesn’t want many people to find the narrow path: 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. John 3:16 says that God gave His Son for the world that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
2. It’s not because the path is too hard to find: God does desire that man seek after Him, but as Paul tells the Athenians, man may grope for God, but He is not far from us. Hebrews tells us that we must have faith to please God but God is a rewarder of all who diligently seek Him. Anyone who seeks after God can find Him.
3. It is not because the narrow way is too hard: This is not to say that the way is easy, but it is not so hard to travel that many people will not be able to travel it. God will equip everyone who chooses to travel the narrow path with the strength and grace to successfully travel it.
So, why will there be few who can find the narrow path? It doesn’t have anything to do with man’s ability or God’s desire. It has to do with man’s desires. The narrow path represents a way of life that is forged by God Himself. It is a way of life that forces man to lay down his life and take up the life of King Jesus.
The narrow way dictates our behaviors, our thoughts and our submission to God in everything. So, as man stands on the broad path leading to destruction, he must make a conscious decision to step off that path and step onto the narrow path. Yet, most men will continue on the broad path leading to destruction. Why?
1. Some men will not seek: It’s as simple as that. In order to find the path leading to eternal life, we must be seeking it. If we are content with the broad path we are on, we will never find the path leading to life. Psalm 10:4 says:
“In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
2. Some seek Him, but choose not to walk the narrow path: It’s one thing to seek the Lord but it’s another thing to conform our lives when we see what must be done to travel the narrow path. This is what happened to the rich young ruler who was seeking eternal life. Jesus knew what was keeping him off the narrow path and when told, the young man made the choice to stay on the broad path:
“Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matthew 19:21-22 ESV).
3. Some start down the path, but quickly decide that they miss the broad path: The promise of eternal life is a powerful draw for men. Ecclesiastes says that God has put eternity in our hearts. It is something that we all yearn for to some degree. That yearning will often cause us to step onto the narrow path, but soon after, return to our life of sin, making shipwreck of our faith as Paul says. Jesus, in the parable of the Sower, tells us that the rocky ground will cause people to return to the broad path after receiving the word with joy:
“And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16-17 ESV).
So, when Jesus says the narrow way is a path that has a few who find it, it’s important for us to understand why it is so hard to find. It is not God’s fault. He has made it findable, accessible, travelable, and wide enough to handle all who wish to travel it.
It is hard to find because:
1. We don’t want to find it
2. We don’t want to travel it, or
3. We choose to return to the broad path after we experience traveling on the narrow path.
In any case, few will find it because, and only because, our heart will reject it in one way or another.
But the narrow path is the path full of promise. It has a God who loves us and a God who walks the path with us. It has a God who traveled the path perfectly before us and has cleared all obstacles for us. It is a path where Jesus gives His grace so that we can overcome all the sin that would entice us to step off the narrow path and back on the broad path.
The narrow path is the path that all can, and will travel if it is what we seek. And our Lord has equipped all that is needed for the few who choose to travel it successfully to the end.
When we suffer, we are tempted to wonder why the Lord did not prevent our suffering.
When we fall, we are tempted to wonder why the Lord did not keep our steps steady.
When we are sick or when death visits, we wonder where the Lord is and why He allowed this to happen.
Like Job’s friends, we often see a life that is good, a life of abundance, a life of ease and say, “See, the Lord is with me and blesses.”
Yes, all blessings flow from God. But some of the greatest blessings cannot come unless there is first the struggle.
How can God lift up unless there is first a fall? Let us not lose faith in the fall, but rejoice in the lifting up.
How can God heal unless there is first pain and illness? Let us not question the Lord when sickness and pain come, but rejoice when healing is given by the Lord.
How can there be a resurrection unless there first be a death? Let us not lose heart when death visits, but be ready to rejoice when the Lord makes us victorious over death with a resurrected perfect body.
How can there be deliverance unless there is first an oppression? Let us not see our oppression as an abandonment of God, but rejoice in the deliverance given by the sovereign God.
How can there be providence of our needs unless there is first a lacking of our needs? Let us not lose faith when we lack, but rejoice when we receive from the hand of God.
In all things, it is not in self-sufficiency that we experience the might, the power, and the grace of God. It is in the deepest need, where there is nowhere else to turn, that we experience the fullness of God and His presence in our lives.
Some of you may know that I am working on writing a book on God’s sovereignty. What I thought would be a relatively straight forward book has proven to be a rich, deep and challenging endeavor. I am thoroughly enjoying the studying I am doing and yet, I am taking on the biggest challenge of my life.
I was talking to my brother-in-law, Tom Pledger, last night and here are a couple of observations I discussed with him that I can share with you now:
1. The sovereignty of God presses against the limits of mortal man to comprehend. No matter how much we study, pray or reason, God is so far higher than us, that we may not ever be able to truly understand every aspect of His sovereignty.
2. There are fundamental truths that will help us circle back to solid foundations when our reason starts to spiral us away from truth, namely that God can do anything, God answers to no one, and God is perfect in all ways. There are certainly other truths to anchor in, but these help us stay grounded in our understanding of His sovereignty.
3. The book of Job doesn’t focus on the problem of suffering as much as it squarely focuses on God’s sovereignty. This may have been one of the biggest revelations that my study has yielded to me so far. I am excited to share my thoughts with you on this lesson in my book.
So, my ask of you is to perhaps mention me in your prayers before the Father today that I might have wisdom and discernment to complete this work and present it in a way that is in line with truth and in a way that glorifies God and brings honor to His name.
My plan is to publish this book this year, but I will not let an arbitrary timeline dictate its publication. I will publish it when it is ready. Saying that, I have no reason to believe that I will not be able to publish it this year. This is the fourth book I will have published, so I do understand the realities that are before me.
Thanks to all who have encouraged me in this effort and for all who pray for me.
When the Lord brings judgment, He knows how to judge the guilty and protect His servants. Unlike armies that rain down missiles on the soldiers and the innocent, indiscriminately destroying all in their path, God knows how to rain down His judgment with precision.
Judgment was coming upon the people and Zephaniah the prophet warned the people what they needed to do to avoid judgment- keep themselves under the rule of their God.
“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.” (Zephaniah 2:3 ESV).
That didn’t mean they would not be brought out of their land, but it meant that the Lord knows how to protect His people in the midst of His judgment.
We live in a world of uncertainty. A world of sin and violence. A world where people see what they want and take it by force from those who have. A world where life is not worth much and a world where people look to the strong and not to the righteous.
Yet in the midst of such a world, God calls us to be holy; to be faithful; to do good and not to do evil. Whether it is His judgment or the evils in the world, our God knows how to protect His people.
That doesn’t mean that we will not experience the effects of the evil around us, but it means that when the evil may come upon us, God will be there that we may be able to endure. More importantly, if God brings judgment, He knows how to strike the wicked and protect His people in the midst of His judgment.
Let the words of Zephaniah comfort us that we serve a God who knows how to punish the guilty and protect His people in the midst of His wrath which He may pour out upon the evil people we live with.
When I study the sovereignty of God, I see that God is truly in control. As men, we ponder, “How can even God break the mighty?”
But God can exert His will in ways we cannot fathom.
He doesn’t need to raise up a stronger enemy.
He doesn’t need to bring a famine or pestilence.
He doesn’t need to send a storm to destroy.
Sometimes God can be creative in ways beyond us.
He has many arrows in His quiver and can use any one of them to accomplish His purpose.
Sometimes He just brings in stupid people who do not know how to handle the strength, wealth, and wisdom a people have built up to make themselves invincible.
Consider…
“therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:14 ESV).
Or…
“and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers;” (Isaiah 19:3 ESV).
The lesson: Never paint God into a corner as to how He can accomplish His purpose. He can do so in ways we can never fathom and no country on earth today is beyond His reach.
Not one.
In Matthew 9, we read about a decision Jesus makes that should be dear to most of us. When we think of people like Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Paul and the great men of faith, it may be hard for us to see how someone like us can fit into this Kingdom.
We know the truth. We are sinners. Though we strive in our hearts, we are weak. We trip over the same sins day after day. Not that we are not trying to overcome, but in humility, we realize how weak we are. And then we look at these strong pillars of faith, and we ask, “Where do we fit in regarding the Kingdom? Is there a place for me?”
And then Jesus does something in Matthew 9 that amazes us. He calls Matthew (Levi) to follow Him. And not just to follow Him, but soon to be an Apostle:
“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9 ESV).
Here was a rich man whose riches brought him no honor. Matthew was a Jew who was despised by his people for working with the Romans. Yet as a Jew, he could never fully embrace the Gentiles who employed him. So, he lived in isolation between two peoples, a man who had no home or respect from anyone in his life.
The only ones who understood him were the other misfits like him. So, he gathered with other Jewish tax collectors, the only place where he could find acceptance… Until Jesus, the Son of God, crossed his path.
So, it is natural that when this famous Rabbi should not only look upon him, but also invite him into fellowship, Matthew would get up and leave his tax booth and follow. And immediately, he gathered all of the other misfits in his life to dine with him.
“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.” (Matthew 9:10 ESV).
Yes, this Rabbi would not only invite Matthew to follow him, but He would also dine with his friends. Perhaps this was the only time these hated men ever dined with someone other than another tax collector since choosing their profession.
To some, this may not be a big deal. But to those of us who have ever felt that we were misfits in some way or another, this is monumental. That Jesus does not overlook those whom men overlook. Yes, we have a place with the Messiah, the Creator of the universe, who pauses along the path just to look upon us and say, “Follow Me.”
We may not be a Paul, or Moses, or Abraham, but many of us can be a Matthew. And the most powerful Being in the universe will actually come in and dine with us… of all people, with us.
What a wonderful savior we serve.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV).
I wonder how many have the wrong idea about what Judgment Day will be like. I wonder if some see it as a courtroom drama where we will be able to stand before Jesus and give a defense against any accusation that is brought against us and if we are persuasive enough, we can perhaps convince the King to find in our favor.
That’s not the way the final Judgment is portrayed in Scripture. There will be no witness stand, no defense to put on. By the time we make that appointment, we will be there for one reason: to hear the final eternal judgment laid upon us.
Sure, we may protest the sentence as we see in Matthew 25, but there will be no defense. The reality is that the trial is taking place as we speak. Two sides are putting forth their best case for your life: The god of this world will entice with a life of sin and self-indulgence, while the Lamb of God will present a life based upon His word and a life of holiness.
We will choose one or the other. Those are the only two options we have in this world. If we think that there is a third way to avoid these two options, then we are deceiving ourselves and choosing the way of the god of this world.
So, the trial is taking place now for each of us. Life is that trial. We are participants whether we want to be or not. Now is the time to convince through our submission and walk of life.
In the final Judgment, we are there for one reason: to receive our fate based upon the outcome of the trial of life. We all need to stand with the One true God who created all and Who will judge us by His words on that day.
So, I am in the book of Jeremiah for my daily Bible reading. What a tough work this prophet had. Not only did he have to prophesy doom to Judah, but God told him not to pray for the people or intercede for them.
Here are a few powerful words from Jeremiah that we will all do good to reflect and meditate on today.
(Refusing to let the loving chastisement of God do its good work):
“In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.” (Jeremiah 2:30 ESV).
(Let us approach God in humility and put our trust in Him, not in ourselves):
“Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV).
(Let us give glory and honor to God, recognizing who He is):
“There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.” (Jeremiah 10:6 ESV).
(Trust that God knows best and that He will correct us in love, not anger):
“I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.” (Jeremiah 10:23-24 ESV).