Jesus Teaches on the Two Ways of Living

by Bruce Mackay | Download PDF | Purchase Hardcopy
Jesus Teaches on Two Ways of Living - By Bruce Mackay
As Jesus continued His teaching from the mountainside near the Sea of Galilee, He spoke of two ways of living. He said that there was a narrow gate and a wide gate. The wide gate opened up to a broad way. The narrow gate opened up to a narrow, difficult way. We must remember that the reason for a journey is its destination. In my youth, I was a very keen surfer and I went down many off-road pot-holed tracks, looking for a good wave to ride. The destination was my focus. If the wave was good, the journey was worth it, no matter how difficult.

If both paths led to the same destination, then it would seem reasonable to take the wide gate and the wide, easy path. Life does have a destination. We all must die; our earthly life must end. But that is not the end of our journey. We all have a living soul. We never cease to exist. Where will you spend eternity? Jesus made it clear, that it depends which gate you enter and which path of life you journey on. Do you know your destination? Do you know the way? Eternal life is through the narrow gate and the difficult way. The wide gate and the broad, easy way lead to eternal destruction.

Why two gates?

Firstly, it is important to say that God does give us the dignity of choice. Many ask: 'Why does God allow evil?' or 'Why do such bad things happen to good people?' For God to not allow evil and to stop bad things happening, He would have to remove our free will. We would be robotic with no power to choose. But of course, the moment we have a will and the power to choose, we must accept that there are always consequences to our decisions.

We live in an age that pushes our freedom of choice and independence, but focuses very little on being accountable when it comes to consequences. Think about your life and the many choices you have made. All of us in hindsight, because of bad outcomes, may have wished we had made a different decision. But at the time of the decision, before knowing the outcome, we would not have been happy if we didn't have the power to choose. God has given us the power to choose, but also calls us to be accountable for our choices.

Jesus, in His love for each individual, presents us with a choice – a wide gate and a narrow gate. There comes a point in everyone's life when they are confronted with real-life choices. Therefore, it is vital that we recognise our accountability when making life choices, knowing that they carry eternal consequences.

Some people find it very difficult to make decisions. They keep putting off making a decision. They would love for someone else to make their decisions for them. The reason people don't like making a decision is because they want to remove themselves from the frontline of accountability. If it doesn't turn out, a least they didn't make the decision and they can keep their options open.

When it comes to which gate and path of life you choose, each individual is totally accountable and there is no third option. It would be true to say that by not choosing the narrow gate that leads to eternal life, you are choosing the broad and easy way, because the wide gate and broad way is the way of self-centred living.

Let's take a moment to be honest with ourselves. In most situations, we view life from the basis of what affects us. We are the centre of our own world. Jesus made it clear that while we are living our lives from this self-centred base, we cannot do the will of God. We are on the broad way that leads to destruction.

The Bible says that we are like sheep gone astray, 'every one of us have turned to our own way'. 'There are none who are righteous, no not one... For there is no difference, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.'

How to choose the narrow gate

To enter by the narrow gate and journey on the narrow way to eternal life and heaven, we must turn around. We must turn from being the centre of our own lives. You must turn from being in the driver's seat and give Jesus the controls of your life. We have sinned and we must turn from our sin. The good news is that Christ has died for our sin. The wages of our sin is death and hell. Jesus Christ took our sin and, while hanging on the cross, He paid the wage for our sin. He paid it in full. Jesus, who had no sin of His own, took our sin and became sin for us. Because of this, we can be forgiven and live by His righteous life.

The entrance to the narrow way, to the righteous life of Christ, is the cross of Christ. Not a crucifix or a piece of jewelry, but the place where Jesus died and suffered. We enter the narrow gate by being accountable and admitting that the suffering that Jesus went through was for me. We each must acknowledge that, 'It's my sin that is causing Jesus to die on the cross. I am the sinner. He is dying for me.' As I own my sin and accept that it is for me that Christ died, I can receive His forgiveness and receive His life, and start a new life on a path leading to eternal life.

Jesus constantly called people to choose. He never left anyone in doubt about what it meant to follow Him. He never tried to soften the call or leave the fine print until they signed up. Rather, Jesus calls us and provides a way that leads to eternal life, leaving the choice totally to each individual, making very clear that it's our own accountability. Will you choose the narrow gate today?

Life on the narrow way

The narrow way of Jesus is a confined pathway, but we don't walk it alone. Jesus is with us every step of the way. He will never leave us or forsake us. In fact, once we choose to submit to Christ and turn from our own way, we begin to realise the way is easier than we imagined. On the narrow way of eternal life, we are yoked to Christ.

Matthew 11:28-30
'Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'

To understand what it means to be yoked to Christ let us form a picture in our minds. We are living in the days of Jesus when the mode of transport was walking or by animal. A farmer needs to plough his field. He has an experienced bullock that knows how to plough a straight furrow. He has a new animal that is young and strong, but has no experience. If he puts the plough on the new bullock, anything could happen. If he yokes the new animal to the old animal, the young animal will learn and walk a straight path. If we will be yoked to Christ, He will keep us on the narrow way that leads to life.

Those who choose the narrow way are also making a choice to stop being a hypocrite. Jesus hates hypocrisy. He says to stop judging other people. Stop finding fault with others. Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 7:3-5
'And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.'

It doesn't take any spiritual maturity to find fault with someone else. But it does take spiritual humility to face up to our own faults and acknowledge them. If we will confess our faults and humbly own up to our slips and mistakes, Jesus is faithful to forgive.

The narrow way is a life of total dependence on Christ. Each step of the way we are to ask, seek and knock.

Matthew 7:7-12
'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.'

Of course He knows what we need. But if He just hands it out without any relational connection, He is just some Secret Santa. He wants us to ask. He wants fellowship with us, to meet heart to heart.

I know as a man that I hate asking for directions. It seems like it is an admission of weakness and failure. That is exactly the point. Jesus wants us to know that we can't make it on our own. We can't earn our way to heaven. We cannot proudly charge along this narrow, confined pathway to eternal life. We must humble ourselves and ask and ask and keep on asking. We need to show our total dependence on Christ. If you ask, you will receive.

Asking, seeking and knocking also draw us into a relationship with God. God is inviting us to come into His household and build a relationship. God is relationship and He desires that each of us participate with Him in our needs for life.

Jesus went on to say that the people who don't join in fellowship with Christ, and don't ask and seek God's will, are lawless ones. Such a person will be cast out of His presence because He doesn't know them and they haven't established that close, living, obedient relationship.

Matthew 7:21-23
'Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord", shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? " And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"'

These are some of the saddest verses in the Bible. Verse 23 speaks of people actively doing religious good deeds but being cast into outer darkness. Even good, religious works can be self-centred. They can be serving our agenda. We must be willing to forsake all and be committed to do His will.

Do you know Him? Does He know you? Do you have a relationship with Christ? Does His life dwell in you? Are you pleasing Him or are you just pleasing yourself? Have you entered by His narrow gate? Are you daily living on His pathway for your life?