“And few are those that find it.”
As we continue through the Gospels take time to realize how confrontational Christ is with the gospel message. I was recently turned on to this staggering fact, and it has really challenged me. When the crowds would get large, Jesus would say something crazy like eat my body or drink my blood. When He perceived they desired to take Him and make Him king, he would slip away.
Christ didn’t desire groupies or followers for that matter; He desired disciples. Many enter the wide gate. Few find the narrow one. The verbs there seem to demonstrate the difference. It's almost like the masses just travel the road and find themselves at the end with everyone else nonchalantly considering their destiny ahead. They were so captivated by the world and its daily demands that they saved little time to seek out any other path than the default worldview laid before them.
But the narrow path is different. It requires seeking. It is something that must be found. There is implied in that a certain inherent worth and reward for our efforts. And indeed, it delivers with the hope of eternal life. Life in Christ is given as a result of ardent seeking and a humiliation of self (not embarrassment, rather subjection of personal rights to Him). It requires us to turn away (repent) from the world's way and travel down a new road (faith). The narrow way is not easy. Scripture never says it is. The broad way never ceases its invitation to return, but a true believer will never fully return to its path. Christ, salvation's reward, is too precious and His grace too refreshing.
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