Growing up, were you ever (condescendingly) asked, “If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?” We all probably responded in the same way, with a humbled and embarrassed, drawn-out, “No.” Whether it was from a parent, a teacher, or a coach, I think it is safe to say that we have all put ourselves in a situation where this was a fair question that we deserved to be asked.
- Share a time that you were asked that question or when you asked your own child(ren) that question.
In every situation in which that question has been asked, there is a constant: the question is always followed by a foolish choice that was made. Hopefully, you and I have all learned and grown from these decisions. Is anyone thankful that they are not the same person that they were years ago? There is a famous quote that says, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” It is a good reminder of how easily we can be influenced by those around us. As we continue in our study of the Sermon on the Mount within the book of Matthew, we see that Jesus gives the audience a similar warning in the midst of His teaching. “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). In typical Jesus fashion, Jesus lays out a relatively straightforward message but a very profound truth. In these two verses, we see Jesus lay out a decision that everyone in their life will come to face. There are two options, two gates. One leads to life, and the other leads to destruction. You might be thinking to yourself, “Why would anyone choose the gate that leads to destruction?”
- Do you think anyone knowingly or willingly chooses to walk the path that leads to destruction? Why or why not?
Maybe I am giving people too much credit, but I would venture to say that most people would not knowingly choose destruction or death over life. One thing that always amazes me is that people walked the world with Jesus, knew of His miracles, and still rejected Him and His teaching. They say, “Hindsight is 20/20,” and I think in a number of situations, people do not always realize the path they are on until they have been walking it for a number of years.
- How do you think people find themselves on the path that leads to destruction?
In referring to Matthew chapter 7, one commentator writes, “Jesus did not speak of this gate as our destiny, but as the entrance to a path” (Guzik, 2018). We need to remember that this choice that Jesus is referring to is not just a one-time conscious decision, but is one that is made by looking at our actions over time. As much as I would like, I cannot just wake up and decide that “I am healthy” or “I am debt free.” There is a process or a series of decisions that must be present in order for that to be true.
- What is the difference between “the gate” and “the way or the path”?
- What do you think is more important: the initial decision or the series of choices that follow?
- What influences your decision-making more, the process or the end result?
It may seem like a “chicken versus the egg” question, but ultimately, what good is our initial decision if our actions do not match? In the event that you are like me, reading Jesus’ words in these two verses may feel like taking a sip from a fire hose. With that being said, we will spend the remainder of the study looking at each verse individually.
Matthew 7:13 says, “For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” I wish that I could sit here and make light of how seemingly foolish it would be for anyone to walk the path that leads to destruction, but sadly, we know that this is not the case when we look at the world around us. Going back to our ice-breaker question, how many times have we used the phrase “everybody is doing it” to justify our decision? Looking back on those decisions, they probably were not ones that we should have been trying to justify. Sprinkle in the fact that we are told that the path is “easy” and avoids hard work and sacrifice; it is no mystery that this is the more “tempting” path.
- What do you think is more influential: the fact that the path is “easy” or the fact that “those who enter by it are many”? Why?
Matthew 7:14 says, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” On the other side of the coin, Jesus tells us the conditions of the path that ultimately leads to life. Jesus even opens up this section of teaching by simply instructing to “enter by the narrow gate.” Did you ever have an open-book test in school? It feels like we have been given the answers to the test! However, even with the “answers” being made readily available, Jesus lays out that “those who find it are few.” As opposed to verse 13, we can draw the conclusion that the work and sacrifice required, in addition to going against the crowd, makes this the path less traveled.
- Why do you think that Jesus says, “those that find it are few”?
- What makes walking the path to life “hard”?
Earlier in this lesson, I used an analogy about how I cannot just wake up one day and decide that “I am healthy” or “I am debt free” and that it is a process more than it is a decision. While that is true about my health and my finances, I want to clarify that it is not the best example when talking about our relationship with Christ. If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you know that it certainly is a process, but the decision alone holds a great deal of significance, too. I am reminded of the thief on the cross who, in his final moments, acknowledges that he was walking the path that leads to destruction. Look at how the Gospel of Luke records this special moment: “‘For we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”
For those who may find themselves walking on the path that leads to destruction, the temptation may be to think that you have to “undo your wrongs,” or that you would need to make up the distance that you have been walking in order to walk through the gate that leads to life. Praise God that this is not the case! For anyone who may find themselves walking on the wrong path, all it takes is one decision to redirect yourself onto the path that leads to life. Romans 10:9 adds, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” It really can be as simple as that.
- How can we help or encourage someone who finds that they have been walking on the wrong path?