Lesson Five: The Gate and The Path
Devotion #6: Which Way?
Cameron Aldrich
Which path do you prefer: the easy way or the hard way? Does your answer maybe depend on the situation? I believe it is safe to assume that nearly all of the time, we are prone to choose the easy path no matter the situation. Most people prefer not to add extra, unnecessary challenges into their lives, but can you blame them?
In the Gospels, having the choice of different paths is a common concept. In fact, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus focuses on this choice as it relates to the lives of believers. He speaks of different gates as compared to different paths. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus states, “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.”
When Jesus uses the word “easy” in verse 13, He highlights a major flaw in our sinful nature that cannot be overlooked. We as humans are so apt to choose whatever is easiest and most comfortable in every situation. Sometimes, we are tempted to choose what is easiest without even considering how that path may affect us in the long run.
Choosing what is easiest might not bring us much future harm when it comes to more casual situations in our lives. Sometimes, choosing what is easy can make the most sense and can bring comfort and happiness into our lives, and it is so relieving when things work out that way. However, if we choose what is easiest over what is best for every one of our various situations, harm and discomfort are sure to follow.
This is especially true when we consider the choice between gates that Jesus sets in the verses above as He expresses that the easy gate leads to destruction. Yet, this is also not the only place in the Gospel where Jesus expresses the importance of making the correct choice of which gate we choose. When He speaks to His disciples in John chapter 10, Jesus states that He is the gate for the sheep and that whoever enters through Him will be saved.
When Jesus refers to Himself as the gate in either of these Gospels, it is important to remember two things. First, this gate is open to all who may wholeheartedly seek and choose it. We can have confidence in Jesus’ promise that He will always be available to us so long as we repent and believe in what He did, declare Him as our Lord and Savior, and seek Him daily. Second, please realize the gate He urges us to choose is the only entrance into everlasting life alongside our Father in Heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus states, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Although we are given the freedom to choose our gate, it is making the choice between them that remains supremely important and immensely difficult. This is evident considering how Jesus describes the gates and the number of people that choose each. For the wide and easy gate, there are many who enter by it; but for the narrow and hard gate, there are few who find it.
It is our sinful nature that makes this such a difficult choice. It is so crucial to remember that this choice is not a one-time deal, it is a lifelong process. Every day, we are given opportunity after opportunity to either take the easy path or to live in a way that helps us find the narrow path, just as Christ lived. Thankfully, if we put our hope and faith in Jesus, then we have a Savior on our side who will guide us through the difficult life in which the narrow gate demands. So, let us not lose heart and remain focused on choosing the right path. In Christ, we have strength.