Matthew 7:13-14; Psalm 87

Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

This little paragraph is talking about our eternal destiny. The gate that leads to eternal life in heaven is narrow. This does not mean that it's complicated or hard to understand. It simply means that there is only one way. Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This doesn't leave any wiggle room. We as Christians are sometimes criticized for being narrow-minded, but these are Jesus' words, not ours. Our only responsibility is to believe Him and trust what He has done for our salvation.

The broad road which leads to eternal destruction is easier as it requires us to believe nothing! Or perhaps to believe something that is more popular or trendy or seems to make more sense. As we go on in this chapter, we will see that many false teachers threaten people with wrong doctrine. We can avoid being deceived if we compare all teaching to God's revealed Word.

John Phillips in his commentary on Matthew, Exploring the Gospel of Matthew, pp 126-128, makes an interesting contrast between the broad and narrow roads,

"The road to Hell is the broad road entered by means of the wide gate. It is a popular road, crowded with the careless throngs of those who are blinded by the world. The broad path offers pleasure, promotion, possessions, power,...distractions and delights...The broad road gets narrower as it goes along...This road offers no real joy...It offers ever-increasing dosages for ever-diminishing delights...as every alcoholic, chain smoker, drug addict, sensualist, and pleasure seeker knows...The broad path gets narrower still as old age creeps in with the handicaps and limitations,...Ill health becomes the norm, faculties begin to fail, friends die and the way grows increasingly lonely and frightening...This road leads to destruction...Here 'destruction' refers to eternal spiritual perdition."

"The road to Heaven is the narrow road entered by means of the narrow gate...At the entrance there are no giant posters offering material benefits, physical well-being, or escape from peril, persecution, famine, and sword. There is no implied promise that we can have the bet of both worlds,...We cannot enter at the strait gate and walk the narrow way and at the same time be tolerant of sin...This world crucified our Savior and will be no friend to those who follow in His steps."

"So the road to Heaven is a narrow way, but it broadens out as we grow in grace and increase in the knowledge of God. This road is a path of wonderful friendships--links of love forged with those of like precious faith. The road to Heaven is a path of intellectual challenge, emotional fulfillment, tremendous opportunity, and 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (I Peter 1:8).The path broadens out and ends in the fullness of eternal life."

"There is a narrow road that runs from earth to Heaven, and there is a broad road that runs from earth to Hell. But there is no road that runs from Hell to Heaven. (Luke 16:26) The broad road intersects the narrow road at just one place: Calvary. At the cross one can leave the broad road, accept Christ as Savior, and start along the narrow way."

Psalm 87
I have been procrastinating dealing with this Psalm for some days now as I couldn't really see how it applies to us in the 21st century. But today is just the day to take a look at it. In one sense this psalm is a celebration of the royal city of Jerusalem often called Zion. But in a broader sense Zion refers to heaven! "Glorious things are said of you, O city of God:" v. 3  If we are "born again" into God's family we are recorded as citizens of Heaven.  vv. 5-6.

"As they make music they will sing, 'All my fountains are in you.'" v. 7 We have every reason to rejoice and sing praises to God because heaven is our home. What could be more beautiful or more joyful than a lively, sparkling fountain!