“Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (constrained/restricted) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 ->me: I have grown up with the story of the gates but several questions always come to my mind. 1) Is the gate at the beginning or end of the roads, or different places for each road? 2) Does there even need to be a gate for the ‘Broad’ way? Since we are all born into sin we all start on the ‘broad’ road so the ‘narrow’ way must be an option presented along the ‘broad’ road. The ‘narrow’ gate is a deliberate and costly decision (Luke 13:24). This little metaphor Jesus uses gives some complications to pre-destination. Are some people never presented with the ‘narrow’ gate? Are only some people called to see it? For the Calvinist, is the ‘narrow’ gate at the beginning of the ‘narrow’ way and it only swings one way? I’d like to think that everyone sees the ‘narrow’ gate but not everyone desires to accept what’s at the end of it, and the cost of what it is to travel through it, so they never investigate. There is a sidewalk on the ‘broad’ way that feels safer than being in the street but the sidewalk still ends at death and destruction (this is the ‘faith through works’ traveler). The ‘narrow’ way is also straight uphill but God has positioned Himself all along the way to provide the runner with water and encouragement as they go.
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