Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
One of the most illuminating things I have learned about the Bible is that it is to be read with an understanding of Jewish culture. As I learn more about the lives of God’s chosen people, my eyes are opened to the clear connections of their culture to the Scriptures. I realize that there is nothing in the Word of God that is random. Everything is interrelated, and the more I learn about Jewish history, the greater understanding I have of the Bible.
According to the dictionary, the word “strait” is quite different than the word “straight.” The latter means “not crooked,” but the word used in these verses means “a narrow or difficult passageway.” In a spiritual context, the wide way represents the way of the world, which is easy to follow, sinful in nature, and eventually leading to death. The narrow gate is the way of life through Jesus, which is more difficult to follow, yet yields eternal life in heaven. When He told His followers that they were to enter through the strait gate, He was using an illustration that made perfect sense to them. Jesus’ comments were much more than a simple metaphor regarding the path of life we choose.
Last year, when John and I were in Israel, we visited a replica of a 1st century Nazareth village. To enter this village, we had to pass through a city gate. It was a massive gate that had a smaller and more narrow gate set within it. These ancient gates had different purposes, which allowed different types of people to enter. Read more