the way of life

"Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it."

What on earth does this mean? Before we probe that question, first lets make a couple observations.

- Notice that Jesus starts with the action word, "Enter." The premise of this whole teaching is not simply built upon a person knowing which path to take, but actually taking steps and entering into the right path.

- To Jesus, there is a certain way that leads to life (and few find this way). All of the other ways that don't lead to life, end up leading to destruction. Yes, Jesus breaks it down into two ways. One to life, and one to destruction.

- Jesus teaches that many enter the road of destruction. He also teaches that few enter the road that leads to life.

So according to the logic of Jesus:

- We know there's a "way."

- We also know that life doesn't come simply by knowing the "way," but by entering into it.

- Few actually enter the gate that leads to life, while many pursue on the road leading to destruction.

Let us remember that as Jesus said this, he was wrapping up and concluding a teaching we refer to as the, "Sermon on the Mount." The context behind the words about gates and paths cannot be ignored. If we ignore the rest of Jesus' teaching, we will misinterpret what Jesus was saying.

So, as Jesus finishes the S/M (Sermon on the Mount), he basically says:

"You can either follow the things I'm teaching, which will bring you life; or you can choose the path of the multitudes, which will lead you somewhere else."

Again, he is stressing the importance of his teaching on the mountain.

…following him leads to a "life" as God intended.

…not following him leads to "something" that God never had in mind.

The choice.

The path.

The way.

The decision is ours.