Matthew 7:13. Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Oh friends, the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations have finally petered out, and sadly it’s back to work this Monday morning, despite the snowy weather out there, back to the daily task and common grind. (smile) But good things don’t last forever, so we hope you had a peaceful and LOVING Christmas and a bang-up New Year, that saw you renew your resolution to follow Jesus even more closely in this unknown year of 2026, for He is the ONLY One who can guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life.
And one of the things we must learn and teach the young people as quickly as possible is that life is not a constant merry-go-round of excitement, passion and drama, like so many people tend to, or want to believe. But life is basically a bland, banal, slow-paced affair, reminiscent of the turtle and not the hare. And yes, it does have moments of excitement, drama and passion, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule, for it would be rather difficult, if not impossible to live a life of constant excitement, although some of us try to live it, but soon get burnt out and dissatisfied.
That’s why those who live the longest and with least stress are those who take life quietly, or as it comes, and handles the ups and downs with a peace and calm that comes from living for and with Jesus. Unfortunately though, the world today is trying to make us believe that life is one big, swinging party with lots of fun and excitement happening all the time. And sadly, a lot of us are flocking to that way of thinking through social media and all the other flashy, flamboyant, tempting things that are currently floating around in our world.
Therefore, Jesus warned us thus: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) 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 (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) And is that ever the absolute truth my fellow believers! And it’s not that Jesus is a killjoy or something like that, and doesn’t want us to have fun, but He knows that if we follow certain behaviour that the world calls appropriate we would be led down the proverbial garden path; that’s the broad way that leads to destruction.
And the scholars offer these explanations on the subject. ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate means that one must come through the narrow gate to reach the path that leads to eternal life. Though many are on the broad … way, that leadeth to destruction (eternal separation from God), the gate that leads to life is so narrow that few there be that find it. Christ Himself is both the gate and the way (cf. John 14:6), and God enables men to find that gate (cf. John 6:44)’
Now, we know that the first reference refers to Jesus’ declaration to the disciple Thomas: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ And the second reference refers to Jesus’ statement: ‘No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ So, with Jesus’ warning about the two paths one can tread in this life, one good and one bad, we need to be very careful about what activities we participate in, as well as with whom we interact.
Thus Jesus continues His warning: ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening (ravenous) wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil (bad) fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil (bad) fruit), neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.’ (Matt. 7:15-18) And that’s the truth of the matter friends!
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘The warning Beware of false prophets fits appropriately with the concept of the two ways. Since many are being led in the wrong way, they are obviously being led by the wrong people. False prophets were prevalent in the Old Testament, whereas God’s true prophets were often in the minority. False prophets appear in sheep’s clothing but are in reality ravening wolves. This is a perfect description of those preachers who have denied or distorted the truth of the gospel. They look like lambs but act like wolves. Meanwhile, a true test of a prophet was the conformity of his doctrine to the Scriptures (cf. Deut. 13: 1-5; 1 Cor. 14:37)’
And that test is still very important and applicable today, for there are many false prophets currently in our world. Consequently, when you listen to a preacher or teacher, it’s your duty to go and consult the scriptures and see if what they preach or teach actually conforms to God’s Word. That’s why the scholars further explain: ‘Their fruits refer not only to the actions of their lives, but also to the doctrines they proclaim. The two trees are contrasted in relation to the fruit they produce. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit consistently, while a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit continually. Therefore, the normal and consistent production of fruit, whether good or evil, in a person’s life will bear evidence whether or not that life is of God.’
Now that should give us food for thought, (smile) as we go about our daily duties in this new year. So, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in this earthly life. Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And lest we forget, divine aid hangs on us turning away from our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…if you want to live for Jesus…then you must endeavour to walk the straight and narrow path…
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