“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” – Luke 13:24
Jesus tells us that we must tread a fine path if we wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Why would He say that? If He truly loves humanity, wouldn’t He want to make the gate wider and the road a bit more accommodating? Isn’t He being a bit cruel by demanding that we enter through such a narrow gate? Isn’t He restricting our freedom?
Absolutely not! In fact, the opposite is true.
A narrow path can serve to set us free from the unnecessary burdens that we carry. The smaller the gate, the more we must be refined in order to pass through it. It forces us to let go of our possessions, our attachments, and the vices that weigh us down.
Imagine for a moment that you want to climb a mountain. You assemble a team to help you on the expedition. You invest in all the proper gear and equipment. You stockpile food and supplies for the journey. After months of preparation, you and your crew set off for the adventure.
Imagine for a moment that you want to climb a mountain . . .
You depart in a couple trucks with trailers carrying all of your equipment and supplies. Your travel takes you from highways to country roads, which soon start snaking up the side of the mountain. The corners are tight and difficult to maneuver with your large trucks and trailers.
Eventually, blacktop turns into gravel, and you and the team are forced to stop; from here you’ll have to hike. After a night’s rest you strap on enormous backpacks and begin trudging up the mountain path. You spend the next couple of days slowly and carefully following the marked trail.
Finally the day arrives when you plan to scale the summit. You leave some members of the team behind to look after the camp while you and two others make the climb. You are only able to take a small pack and the bare essentials with you, because you’ll need to nimbly ascend the sheer face of some cliffs before reaching the peak. Thankfully, the view from such heights makes it worth all the effort.
What is the moral of the story? A narrow gate or a constricted road may challenge us to leave certain things – namely sin – behind, but the beauty of our destination makes such sacrifice worthwhile. If we strive to walk the narrow road by abandoning our attachments, leaving our fears behind, and giving generously to those in need, we will truly find ourselves in the Kingdom of God.
Merciful Father, grant us a greater spirit of poverty and detachment, so that we may more faithfully follow Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
