THE WIDE GATE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26
READING: MATTHEW 7:13-14
WE ARE HIS PRIZED POSSESSION
So the road to life is narrow and the gate to God’s Kingdom is small. What happens if we just go down the broad path with the wide gate? It sounds like we’re going to have to walk through a lot of hard stuff anyway, so what kind of ‘destruction’ are we actually talking about here? Well, if Jesus is talking about a life and death scenario He must be referring to heaven and hell, right? But, throughout the Gospels Jesus often celebrates the many who will come into His Kingdom - we know now he meant far more than even the Jews of His day who believed He was the Messiah knew. They may have believed that He was coming to restore Israel, but could never have imagined that He had come for ALL people. So what is Jesus actually saying here? Is it many or few that will be saved?
Understanding the Wide Gate as leading to death wouldn’t be the wrong way to read this, but it would be an oversimplification. The Greek word here that’s translated ‘destruction’ is "apoleia" (ἀπώλεια) and can also be translated as ‘ruin, waste, or loss of purpose’. It’s used one other time by Matthew in chapter 26 (v. 6-13) when he tells the story of the woman who pours out expensive perfume on Jesus. When His disciples see this they are indignant and they ask Jesus, “Why this waste (apoleia)?” They’re shocked that this woman would ruin something so valuable. So, by using this same word, what we see here is that Jesus isn’t actually looking to answer the question of how many people will get into heaven directly. When He says that the broad path leads to ruin, in this case he means not just death or hell, but the waste of human life on earth which He sees as extremely valuable...like the devoted woman’s most prized possession that she spilled out at His feet. We are His prized possession.
Is it possible that we could know Jesus and still miss out on His purpose for our lives? The truth is that we know instinctively that the easy way out, a well-worn path, is not the way to ‘the good life’. Even our own culture today encourages us to ‘take the road less traveled’. Things of true value require sacrifice of some kind. Jesus’ invitation is not only to eternity in heaven, although that is an incredible gift, but it’s also to a Kingdom life now! An abundant life full of blessings that may not be what we expected, but they’re far better than we can imagine. Jesus is saying you were made for this, don’t miss it!
Understanding the Wide Gate as leading to death wouldn’t be the wrong way to read this, but it would be an oversimplification. The Greek word here that’s translated ‘destruction’ is "apoleia" (ἀπώλεια) and can also be translated as ‘ruin, waste, or loss of purpose’. It’s used one other time by Matthew in chapter 26 (v. 6-13) when he tells the story of the woman who pours out expensive perfume on Jesus. When His disciples see this they are indignant and they ask Jesus, “Why this waste (apoleia)?” They’re shocked that this woman would ruin something so valuable. So, by using this same word, what we see here is that Jesus isn’t actually looking to answer the question of how many people will get into heaven directly. When He says that the broad path leads to ruin, in this case he means not just death or hell, but the waste of human life on earth which He sees as extremely valuable...like the devoted woman’s most prized possession that she spilled out at His feet. We are His prized possession.
Is it possible that we could know Jesus and still miss out on His purpose for our lives? The truth is that we know instinctively that the easy way out, a well-worn path, is not the way to ‘the good life’. Even our own culture today encourages us to ‘take the road less traveled’. Things of true value require sacrifice of some kind. Jesus’ invitation is not only to eternity in heaven, although that is an incredible gift, but it’s also to a Kingdom life now! An abundant life full of blessings that may not be what we expected, but they’re far better than we can imagine. Jesus is saying you were made for this, don’t miss it!
REFLECTION
As we wrap up the week we’re going to take what we’ve learned from Matthew 7:13-14 and meditate on it further using John 10:1-16. For today, simply read the passage once or twice to familiarize yourself with Jesus’ words and ask God to prepare you for what He might have to say to you.