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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Not Taken:
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Thought as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Not Taken:
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Not Taken:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Frost’s poem and the Lord’s illustrations are different: there is no switching back or returning.
But the last line is significant:
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.<br>
07
Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) The Lord said:
“Enter through the narrow gate…” (7:13a) Why? Because the narrow gate and the path that leads to life is pressed [to invisibility]; only a few find it (7:14)
Overshadowed path =“How narrow is the gate and difficult is the road that leads to life, and few find it” (HCSB)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Remember last week’s lesson:
“Knock . . . and it shall be opened to you” (Matt 7:7–8).
What if you don’t see the door because it is so small and insignificant compared to the large door next to it, and you miss it and don’t knock on it?
The lesson is “small door is hard to find” & “when found, the path behind it is very difficult to walk.” So, only a few travel there! But it leads to life.<br>
09
Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) The Lord also said:
“The wide door and the easily walkable/accessible path leads to destruction; many are those who enter through it” (Matt 7:13b)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) The picture that emerges is this:
Small door is hard to find; the path behind is even harder to walk; but since it’s small and difficult, a person is alert and escapes dangers
Large door is easy to spot; the path is even easier to walk; as a result, a person walks carelessly and falls prey to the dangers unsuspectingly
Yet, many choose the large door; but the Lord wants us to walk through the small door<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
[From last week]: Don’t toss sacred meat to dogs and pearls before pigs; i.e., give gifts to those who value them (Matt 7:6–12).
Earlier: Take the log out of your own eyes before taking the speck out of your neighbor's; i.e., before judging others, self-examine yourself (Matt 7:1–6).<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
Don’t be anxious about anything; God the Father will take care of our needs. We, instead, seek “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and all these things will be added to us (Matt 6:25–34)
A person can’t serve God and money simultaneously—no one can serve two masters (Matt 6:24)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
Keep treasure where it counts—heaven. There, moths don’t destroy as moths destroy cloths in this world. There, thieves don’t break in and steal, as they do in this world. Where your treasure is there is your heart (Matt 6:19–23)
Don’t do actions—pray, fast, or any righteousness—for people to reward you; instead, do them secretly for God the Father to reward you (Matt 6:1–18)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
Law says “Love your neighbor” (broad gate; easy path); Jesus says, “Love your enemies” (small gate; difficult path) (Matt 5:43–48)
Law says, “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (equal retribution); Jesus demands doing good to those who demand of you—walk an extra mile, give outer clothing, show unharmed cheek (Matt 5:38–42)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
Tradition demanded how to keep an oath; Jesus demands “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’; your ‘no’ be ‘no’”—your words are reliable (Matt 5:33–37)
Tradition explained, “When you gave the divorce papers, divorce was final,” Jesus said marriage is not for divorce (Matt 5:31–32)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
The Law said, “Do not commit adultery”; Jesus says, “Do not covet for another man’s wife; that itself is adultery” (Matt 5:27–30)
The Law said, “Don’t murder” (broad gate); Jesus said, “Don’t even think evil against your brother” (narrow gate) (Matt 5:21–26)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
Jesus said: Let your lives be examples—like salt with saltiness, lighthouses, and lamps (Matt 5:13–14)
Small gate: “Blessed are you when people persecute you and say all kinds of false, evil words against you—your true reward is in heaven” (Matt 5:11–12)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) What are small doors in the context?
Small gate: Blessed are you . . .
when you are persecuted for righteous deeds
when you make peace
when you’re pure in heart
when you’re merciful
when you hunger and thirst for righteousness
and are gentle, mourn, & poor in spirit (Matt 5:3–10)<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Small/narrow gate is difficult to find; the path behind is even more difficult to walk—but it leads to life; a few find this path
Broad gate is easy to find; the path is even easier to walk—but danger awaits in there; many walk it and get entrapped<br>
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Two Gates; Two Paths
(Matt 7:13–14) Which gate and path do you prefer?
Small gate and difficult path—Jesus’ path
Or, large gate and easy path—world’s path
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.<br>
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