The Bible speaks of the narrow gate. It explains that crowds choose the wide gate with a broad path but few choose the “‘difficult way”, despite it leading to eternal life. In fact, according to Jesus, few even find the narrow gate. As a kid, it was impressioned upon me that the gateway to eternal life could be found through hard work. I likely learned this from my parents. Both of them could be described as hard workers. My father made a living teaching people in parts departments how to work both hard and smart. My mother managed hundreds of people at the phone company. Both, despite their work schedules, always made time for me and our family. Both provided for my sister and I through hard work. Surely this is how to reach the narrow gate.
Then came a time where hard work amounted to nothing for my parents. Despite their best efforts, my family experienced poverty, internal trauma and a mountain that we couldn’t overcome with effort. As hard as they worked the narrow road got narrower and eventually all the work seemed pointless. Soon the broad path problems became more attractive than ever.
In my experience the crowded path is crowded for a reason. Although life is still difficult, the broad path contains a lot of short-cuts within it. Paths that take you away from suffering momentarily; like little vacations. They feel good for a time but inevitably lead back to the same point in the road that caused you to escape in the first place
Both roads lead to the same end. No matter how hard I work or how much I avoid what I meet on the road, they both lead to death. So if hard work and avoidance leads to the same end, what’s the value of finding and following the narrow gate?
For eternal life? Why would a life filled with difficulty be the only way to enter the narrow gate? It seems like a cruel joke, even a bit controlling. If there is an all powerful being, why make the gate narrow for your creation? Why put the wide path there if not to tempt and torture?
Preceding the introduction of the narrow gate, Jesus shared the famous golden rule. Treat others with love and love yourself first so that you may know how to love them. Love is the narrow gate. The path few ever traverse is the one we all yearn for in the end. Hard work doesn’t always lead to love, as much as we may want it too. Hard work is only a fraction of what makes up love. No amount of effort is going to lead to the fullness of love.
So how do we find and remain on the narrow path? Jesus wisely leaves that part out. He only points to love as the answer. Loving ourselves and sharing that love with others. Every other detail is ours to own. And we have a lifetime to continue down the path. Where does it ultimately lead, no one really knows. But I’ve got a feeling it has something to do with love.