THE NARROW WAY

In the night the “narrow way” was impressed upon me. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” This is a parable of contrasts like most parables. The contrasts are narrow and wide, entry and non-entry, many and few, life and non-life. “Life” is the focused intent of this short discourse.

There is no way to approach the idea of life without considering Jesus’ bold and unnatural comment, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it,” and “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.” Many people believe that this narrow way is speaking of how narrow the way is to get into heaven, but Jesus never mentions heaven. He mentions getting “into life.” He says the way to find life is a “narrow gate.” The way to find life is ‘‘whoever would save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

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. Jesus