This past Sunday, Jesus started His conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. He gave us some hard truths, but He was speaking out of love.
“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)
Through which gate have you entered? On which path are you walking? Jesus says that it’s so easy for us to be on the path of destruction. It’s in our nature to be on that path. We can believe whatever we want. We can live however we want. We will be the kings and queens of our own lives. It will be comfortable, and we won’t be alone. We will be with others on the same path, heading toward the same direction.
But the gate and the way that leads to life is narrow. It is difficult. There will be suffering. There will be persecution. There will be much dying to self on this path. And we may feel lonely at times since there are only a few on it.
However, we know that it is not unbearable. It is not impossible to walk on this path. We know that His grace is there in the suffering. His life is there in the dying. His presence is there in the times of loneliness.
We know this, because Christ is the gate (John 10:7), and Christ is the way (John 14:6). We can walk on the path to life, because He walked on the path of Calvary, the path to His own destruction. We will never be cut off and alone, because Christ Himself was cut off on the cross on our behalf. We can take up our cross to follow Him to life, because He took up His cross to redeem us from death. He has saved us, and He will never leave us.
Where are you? Where are you on this journey of life? Which gate have you entered through? Which path are you on? This is crucially important. The Son of God is asking us to check ourselves and to come to Him. He is the Gate. He is the Way.
Humble yourselves, and embrace the grace that is found at the feet of Jesus today.
The retreat is already upon us! Hope to see all of you there! If you cannot make it, still join us for the Lord’s Day Worship. Same time. Same place.
Pray for one another.
In Christ,
Pastor Tim
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