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THE GATE TO LIFE

Matthew 7:12-15

Jesus said there's a narrow way and a broad way; there's a strait gate and a wide gate. "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 strait and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matt. 7:13-14).

It's significant that Jesus was brutally honest about the requirements of discipleship. He didn't attempt to sugar coat the Christian life. Instead, he emphasized its hardships and difficulties. He didn't want us to respond to him thinking we'd have an easy life. That's why, right at the beginning, he confronts us with the "narrow gate." "If any man would come after me," he said, "let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (see Matt. 16:24).

Now the broad way with the wide gate costs us nothing to enter. We may carry all of our baggage and all of our sins along with us as we go through it. We need not deny ourselves anything. It's a broad way and it's a wide gate. It's easy to enter.

The fascination and the danger of the wide gate lies in its ease. We don't have to struggle. We can just drift through it. And the consequence is that "many are those who enter by it."

Of course, the narrow way with the strait gate is a different matter. It requires sacrifice. It's so narrow that we can't carry our baggage or our sins with us. The invalid teachings and the false beliefs that have governed our lives must be rejected. The negative attitudes and the harmful habits that have intertwined themselves with the very fibers of our being must be torn away. The unproductive principles and the deceptive defense mechanisms that have given us great satisfaction and success must be repudiated.

It's hard to enter in by the strait gate. In fact, Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24).

According to legend, there was a small gate into the city of Jerusalem that stayed open after the large gate was closed for the night. This entrance was called, "The Needles Eye." When a loaded camel wished to enter the city, he had to be unloaded of all his excess baggage. He had to kneel down and crawl through the small opening. Perhaps that's a picture of the narrow way and the strait gate. If we wish to see the kingdom and enter into life, we must "unload our camel." If so, what has to be unloaded or put away or left behind?

I. FIRST, WE MUST LEAVE BEHIND OUR NEGATIVE CONDITIONING.

Paul said, "In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit" (Eph. 4:22).

Animal instincts and learned behaviors are not part of our original creation in the image of God. They are not "of the Spirit." Paul calls this "the old self." You see, the early influences of our parents, our teachers, our friends, and society in general shaped us. The way these people and these circumstances dealt with us influenced our identity. If we're brought up with unrealistic expectations and superficial values and pessimistic beliefs, we'll find that these teachings continue to affect us.

Are there remnants from your past that still haunt you? Are you being pulled by the strings of your childhood? Are you holding on to worthless trash? An unknown poet wrote:

I have a box that's filled with things

Like nuts and bolts and nails and rings;

And though I'm careful not to lose them

It's doubtful that I'll ever use them!

All of us cling to "things" that clutter up our lives. We are like the child that fell overboard into the sea with only a life jacket. This jacket helped him to survive in spite of the exposure. However, once on dry land, he walked around for a long, long time with his life jacket buckled tightly around him. Even though he no longer needed the device, he just couldn't give it up!

Our "life jacket" may consist of the expectations, demands and duties we've had imposed upon us. This false self was constructed in our struggle for survival. It may have served us well in the past, and, now we just can't seem to give it up; but Paul said, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (II Cor. 5:17).

We must "unload our camel" of all guilts and fears and pretentious masks in order to enter by the narrow gate.

II. NEXT, WE MUST LEAVE BEHIND OUR HOSTILE ATTITUDES.

Paul said, "Put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices" (Col. 3:8-9).

Paul insisted that these vices be "put aside" because he knew that we can't pass through the narrow gate while we're weighted down with these things. Put away your anger and your wrath. The gate is too narrow to admit you and your hatreds. Put away your malice. The gate is too narrow to admit you and your jealousies. Put away your complaints and your judgments. The gate is too narrow to admit you and your self-righteousness.

A nurse described one of her patients. She said, "An elderly lady spoke softly, but with bitter resolve. As I attended to her nightly cares, she turned away, focusing her eyes on the wall and said, `I'll never forgive him. I told him I would never forgive him.' Then, she told how her brother had accused her of taking some heirlooms following their mother's death. He ended with the berry spoon. He said, `I want the berry spoon!' For years he had hidden his feelings, and now they erupted. She was both hurt and angered by his accusation and vowed never to forgive him. `It's my spoon. It was given to me !' she defended herself. `He's wrong and I won't forgive him!'

The nurse continued, "Standing by her bedside, I felt despair and grief. A spoon---one little berry spoon. In the bed before me lay a woman given two months to live. In sixty days, she would face eternity and never see her brother again in this life. Her mind and spirit were in anguish and her only remaining family tie had been broken over a lousy little berry spoon."

Are there any "berry spoons" in your life? Are there things as insignificant as a spoon that separate you from full communion with God? How much lack of forgiveness keeps you from fellowship with others? We must ask God to search our hearts. The Scriptures say, "If you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (Matt. 6:14-15).

We must "unload our camel" of all bitterness and resentment and thoughts of revenge in order to enter by the narrow gate.!

III. FINALLY, WE MUST LEAVE BEHIND OUR SELF-RIGHTEOUS WORKS.

The writer of Proverbs said, "There is a kind of man who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness" (Prov. 30:12).

Paul said, "Our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Rom. 6:6).

These "old things" that belong to the "old self" can even include some good things, like moral deeds or charitable contributions. But, many motives are mixed with selfishness. Many actions are less than altruistic. Therefore the results are "tainted." They are done to make us look good; or to make others look bad. Paul said, "Not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:3).

We have to lay aside our selfish wills if we would enter in by the strait gate. Jesus said, We may even have to "cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye" to do it. Now, these represented good things that had become hindrances. This narrow gate requires too much for many people. That's always been so. Multitudes followed Jesus into the wilderness and ate his bread and fish. But the next day when he invited them to share his lot if they wished to obtain eternal life, many turned away and "walked with him no more." The gate was too narrow.

The rich young ruler worshipped Jesus and desired eternal life; but when the Lord answered, "If thou would be perfect, go sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come follow me" (Luke 18:22).

He "went away sorrowful," for he had great possessions. The gate was too narrow.

Now, some of these things that won't go through the gate may have been useful in the past; but, they aren't the best. Once I watched my father trim my pear tree. I was horrified when he cut off the very branches from which I had just picked fruit the previous season. I pleaded with him, "Dad, not those branches. They're the ones that bore the most fruit!" But my father patiently replied, "The new growth will come out in the spring and that's what bears the best fruit." My father was correct in his prediction, but it took tremendous faith to cut off the branches that had borne the best fruit, trusting in new branches yet unborn.

Are you performing certain deeds that feed your ego? Are you clinging to certain status symbols? Are you enjoying a "holier than thou" attitude? Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).

We must "unload our camel" of materialism and pride and judgment of others in order to enter by the narrow gate..

Yes, the entrance to life is a narrow way and a strait gate. We can't take a load of baggage with us! When we're full of our own things, we cannot possibly take advantage of God's things. Hands that are full of rocks can't accept the bread of life. Vessels that are full of stale garbage can't be filled with living water. Hearts that are full of old habits and hostilities and greed can't receive the spirit of God.

Once in a volatile country, there was a great deal of terrorist activity. A child of a rich family was playing in the beautiful garden of her home. She was surrounded by toys and everything a child's heart could desire. There was a pool and playground equipment. Suddenly, however, a soldier grabbed her, and took her away to save her from an impending terrorist attack. The soldier had risked his life in order to save the life of the child. Nevertheless, she was very angry. "You took me away from my things," she said. "You didn't even let me bring my Teddy Bear."

Sometimes we are like that child. We're so attached to "things" that we aren't willing to "unload" and enter the strait gate that leads to life. Do you have guilts and fears and pretenses? Do you have bitterness and resentments and hostilities? Do you have pride and greed and self-righteousness? We must unload our camel if we're to get through the narrow gate to an abundant life.

(WC1967)

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