Matthew 7:13,14 Straight Gate, Few Find It

[Seth]

YLTMatthew 7
13 `Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide is the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it;
14 how strait is the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!

Few find the path to heaven; many end in hell.

(thanks WW for contribution)

I believe that we can understand much of what Jesus said through the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus didn't say that that small is the gate leading to heaven. He said "leading to life." The prodigal son went through the wide gate and was destroyed. When he repented, he returned to his father and his father said that his son was once LOST (apollumi - destroyed) and is found, and was once DEAD and is alive.

Sin is a wide gate because it's easy. If it was hard to sin, nobody would do it, and they would all be crowding the narrower gate. As it is, sin is a destructive force in our lives, when we abide fully in it, and it will lead to destruction for all who persist in it.

[eaglesway]

excellent!

[Seth]

I had a dream about this once, when I was about 12 or 13, and I didn't know that all would be saved.

I dreamed that there was a narrow path with a obstacle course and people were enjoying the course. Their clothes were very plain and blue course denim. The course seemed difficult but they were all enjoying it, seeming very happy and it seemed to lead upward.

The other path was very short and very wide and led slightly down into a cave. There was red light all around and inside the cave there was a big party going on. Everyone was dressed very nicely, tuxedos and gowns, and I got a sense of gaudiness and revelry. I did not get a sense of cooperation as in the other path, but just sense of static. Not going anywhere, pleasure without any real pleasure (if that makes sense). A party, but nobody seemed to be having fun.

It took me along time, actually until recently, to realize that this was not a dream about heaven and hell. The imagery had nothing to do with what one might associate with the traditional view of heaven as a luxury resort with gold streets and hell as a place of torture and screaming.

It was a dream about life and death, the son who left his father, vs the son who returned to his father.

[marie glen]

   :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :banana: :dsunny:

[Seth]

LOL

BTW, here is a scripture, going along with the Prodigal Son example that might help people understand more of what Jesus is talking about.

Job 31:9-12
If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door; Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

The "rooting out all mine increase" IS the destruction. Choose life that you not have such destruction.

[WhiteWings]

Curse=kalal=to be diminished/despised/of little account/lightly esteemed/bring to contempt. -> God views you as you view Him

[Seth]

If we view him as evil, he will see us as evil. Only one of the two are correct in their judgment. For the carnal mind is emnity against God, fit for destruction.

[shawn]

Curse=kalal=to be diminished/despised/of little account/lightly esteemed/bring to contempt. -> God views you as you view Him

So we mere humans change the viewpoint of Almighty God? 

[sheila]

...as yejudge,soshall ye be judged...... :dontknow:..tothe pure yous how yourself pure

  but tothe crooked you show yourselfshrewd.. Psalms 18;26

[WhiteWings]

Curse=kalal=to be diminished/despised/of little account/lightly esteemed/bring to contempt. -> God views you as you view Him

So we mere humans change the viewpoint of Almighty God?

Yes.
As Sheila wrote be judged as you judge.
In the OT we quite often see God reacting on what people did.
When the Jews acted good, God was friendly. When the Jews kept obeying God stopped being friendly and put them into exile.

Of course those changes aren't just random but follow a set of rules (law/God's personality) determined even before creation.

[Mediate]

YLTMatthew 7
13 `Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide is the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it;
14 how strait is the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!

Few find the path to heaven; many end in hell.

(thanks WW for contribution)

It means that those who concentrate on it and look for it will find the way to life. Suppose it depends whether your definition of 'life' is 'eternal life' or 'life of the right quality'.

The gates are the gates that lead to pasture. And 'eating' of the pastures (or of anything) in bible langauge is synonymous with taking in something of thought, some form of wisdom.

So those who enter the narrow gate eat of the right pastures, while those who go through the broad gate, eat the same as the same of them, who also go through the broad gate.

There's another reference to this in the Gospel of Thomas I think it is, when Jesus says that anybody who tries to jump the gate or climb the fence, (enter in my any other way than the right way) is surely a 'theif' and a 'robber'. It means that 'getting there by any means necessary' shouldn't be the motive. That's a selfish way to think. Rather, 'if I'm going to do it, I'm going to enter, I'm going to enter the way that it's supposed to be done' is the good way to think about it.

From the greek, I saw the verse like this;

'Come in through the 'closely defined' way, for broad is the gate that leads to ruin, and many are those who are entering through that way'.

Ie. lots of people are going the wrong path. Don't go the same path as them. Go through the closely defined path. Tread the path less trodden.

The point, for me, isn't so much about what happens after death, but about how to actually, actively 'walk' in the here and now.

[SevanthDay]

Hello jabcat:

YLTMatthew 7
13 `Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide is the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it;
14 how strait is the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!

Few find the path to heaven; many end in hell.

Can that be said for all of us because we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God? Is that not why we need a Savior? Is Jesus saving the man that is dead in trespasses and sins and is buried with Christ in his death or is Jesus saving the new man that comes out of death when Jesus awakens him to spiritual consciousness? It is the new man that rises with Jesus, the Christ, in his resurrection.

I contend that the old man never finds the strait gate because he is dead with Christ in his death. It is the new man in Christ, that comes through the strait gate when he rises with Christ when God awakens him from the dead. it is the new man with a heart of flesh that will hear and respond to Jesus :grin: call and hearken and obey the good news through the faith of God working through him which is from the Spirit of God who is outworking what Jesus has accomplished by atoning for the sins of the whole world in God's appointed times.

Col 1:14  in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of the sins,
Col 1:15  who is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,
Col 1:16  because in him were the all things created, those in the heavens, and those upon the earth, those visible, and those invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether principalities, whether authorities; all things through him, and for him, have been created,
Col 1:17  and himself is before all, and the all things in him have consisted.
Col 1:18  And himself is the head of the body--the assembly--who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all things --himself--first,
Col 1:19  because in him it did please all the fulness to tabernacle,
Col 1:20  and through him to reconcile the all things to himself--having made peace through the blood of his cross--through him, whether the things upon the earth, whether the things in the heavens.


God bless you,

SeventhDay

[eaglesway]

It is notable that the two ends of the paths are "destruction/ruin/apoleian" and "life/zoen"

Few are living "in the life" of Christ, most are living in the "ruins" of the carnal/natura/flesh man

imo Jesus is talking about living in the spiritual reality of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit(the kingdom) versus walking in the flesh.

[sheila]

this post,where it referred to many men living in the ruins..reminded me of the demon possessed man the lived among the tombs

  [ruins and carnality/corrupted flesh for sure] when the Lord asked the demon it's name ..it answered 'legion for we are many"

   and so, I take heart in the POWER AND LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST..to cast out the 'many' that have led man to such

desolation/destruction and death tombs..and the bringing of man into his right mind..through the redemption of Christ.