3/19/23 - Narrow is Wide and Wide is Narrow - Matthew 7:7-14 - Pastor Jason Fritz

"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

Jesus is concluding this amazing sermon on the Galilean hillside. He speaks of two very different gates. What does it mean? Context is important. All throughout this sermon Jesus has been calling out the religious leaders for their hypocrisy.  If you imitate them thinking you will find life, you couldn't’ be more wrong. The religious leaders were actually going through the wide gate which signifies a dependence on ourselves. They attempted to obtain their own self-righteousness and salvation through trying to do things outwardly to impress others rather than total dependence upon God and faith in Jesus.

Many think the narrow gate means that one must follow the laws of God, attend church, tithe and pray. But this is what the religious leaders did and with the wrong motives. Therefore, they were far from God. They gave and prayed in public to be acknowledged by others. Outwardly they did all the right things but in the wrong way. So the narrow gate is not what most think.

Instead, the narrow gate represents the gospel of grace that is found in Jesus. This is far more radical than you know. The narrow gate has a person saying, “I can’t be good enough to get through any gate that leads to God!” Many hope the gate is wide enough for all of their human efforts to gain God’s approval. The truth is, your good efforts don’t even come close so you actually need something narrow. You need only one thing - the grace of Jesus. 

When we enter through his grace we then live in that grace and the world opens up to us. Jesus says, “Enter the gate first, and then you live your life.” You don’t have to try and live a good life and then at the end of the road hope the gate will be open to you. Herein lies the difference between Christianity and all other faiths. Christianity says that Jesus has unlocked the gate for you so come on in. Other faiths tell you that you must earn your own keys. Broad minded people say, “All good people get into heaven!" and what this means is you are saved by what you do. So in reality this is extremely narrow because you would have to be perfect and totally sinless. Narrow minded people say, “I don’t have a chance to get in on my own, only by the grace of God through Jesus do I get in.” Do you see the difference? Narrow is wide and wide is narrow.

For you personally, here’s what it means….It means not wasting any more time and energy trying to appear outwardly in a way to be accepted by the culture, but rather asking the Holy Spirit to live in you, to change your heart, and transform you into the person God made you to be. God sees the inward appearance of the heart.