One of my all-time favorite small-group Bible studies to lead is a 13-week study on the Sermon on the Mount. And one of my favorite passages to open up is the very familiar, yet largely misunderstood:

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. (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)

Notice that He doesn’t say that entering the narrow gate is hard to do. Actually, Yeshua just says that it is easy to miss. And in fact most will miss it because they are looking the wrong way even though they may pass by quite frequently. How frequently? For many, every day. But we’ll get back to that shortly.

Many don’t realize that this grave warning of Yeshua is followed by a series of three related teachings that address the issue and tell (those who want to hear) how to avoid missing the narrow gate themselves. Let’s take a closer look at three ways to miss the narrow gate:

Confidence in the Wrong Leaders

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening 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 fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:15-20 KJV)

One way many miss the narrow gate of life is that they get on the bandwagon of false teachers. They become so focused on being part of a popular movement, or of being accepted by a particular group, that they ignore evidence that something is amiss with the teachers to which they adhere.

Many misunderstand the false prophets referred to here as being promoters of other religions or worldly philosphies. But Yeshua was speaking specifically about those that wrap themselves in Christ-clothing in spite of the fact that inside the Spirit of Messiah is not to be found.

A Mohammedan, an atheist, a Buddhist, and others who reject Yeshua the Messiah are not in sheep’s clothing. They are typically upfront about differences in their faith and ours. Sometimes they might sugar-coat differences so as to be ingratiating and hoping to use some good old “friendship evangelism” on us. But even then, when “push comes to shove,” the differences cannot be denied. They are not sneaking up on an unsuspecting flock. It is clear that what they teach is very different than what the disciples of Yeshua follow.

Rather, the wolves in sheep’s clothing are those who pretend to be teachers of Yeshua, but are nothing of the sort in reality. Like the Mormon, the Jehovah’s Witness, the Christian Scientist, and a host of others. These are just a few examples of a large variety of wolves in sheep’s clothing ravening to steal away the souls of the real Shepherds flock. They sneak in with “plastic words” that are molded to look like the real thing, but they are only a cheap imitation. Those are some of the blatantly obvious examples to make my point. There are a great many more false teachers who are VERY hard to discern initially.

Even though these wolves might look like the real thing on casual and distant observation, followers of these people are not typically casual or distant to them for long. The wolves promoting false doctrines in an effort to steal sheep don’t have the Spirit. So they don’t display the fruit of the Spirit consistently irregardless of the show they may be able to keep going for the moment. But after some time, the works of the flesh marking these pretend apostles can be seen by close observation. And those fleshly fruits are the branding of a faker for the flock.

But those warning signs are ignored by many followers unwilling to take their idolized leader off his or her pedestal. Sadly, they will bear the price of missing the narrow gate because they idolized a teacher rather than the Word of Truth, which they have access to whenever they reach for their copy of Scriptures.

Confidence in Religious Works

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)

Yeshua was not referring to followers of anything other than a Christ-wrapped religion. Notice they say “Lord, Lord.” Notice also that they do religious things “in His name.” Yeshua was not talking about Buddhists, or Muslims, or Atheists, or anybody other than someone walking in some form of Christian religion. This group clearly thought they were doing religious service in the name of Christ. But Yeshua’s response to them clearly shows they were wrong: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” That means they were on the broad road to destruction. What happened?

They were workers of iniquity. “Iniquity” here in the Greek is “anomia,” which literally means “anti-law,” or “anti-Torah” if we use the Hebrew word translated into “law” in the Greek texts. They were not doing what Yeshua wanted them to do. Rather, they were doing what they thought was good to do in their own eyes. They were obviously impressed with their religious works and wonders, and that was another problem. They were idolizing their own righteousness. To do that, they dethroned YHWH’s righteousness.

Had they set aside their religious pomp and circumstance they might have seen the Torah of Yeshua, so clearly communicated in the entire Bible, and walked in that way. Instead, they miss the narrow gate because they are so focused on the broad road, looking unswervingly ahead to their next Christo-shindig and holy sham-wow session.

Confidence in Biblical Knowledge

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27 KJV)

Finally, we have another teaching that is often misinterpreted to be applicable to the world at large. It isn’t uncommon to have the sand-builders compared to those who follow other religions while the rock-builders are compared to Christians. But that interpretation is based on a very sloppy reading of the text. And worse, it is in error. It’s easy to see upon closer inspection.

Notice what is common about both the rock-builders and the sand-builders: they BOTH have Yeshua’s words in their ears. What is different? The rock-builders take His words to heart and do them. The sand-builders let Yeshua’s words pass in one ear and then out the other. They never take His words to heart as evidenced by their failure to actually do them.

Though the sand-builders have Yeshua’s words, they actually rejecting them and instead trust in their own way. That is proven by their actions. They prefer the broad road of their christo-religious ideas as opposed to what Yeshua Himself said to do. And as the broad road leads to total destruction, so too does building upon the sand.

The core problem for the sand-builders is that they mistakenly believe that knowing YHWH’s word is the goal of their faith. They miss the oft-spoken testimony from all of Scripture that our walk in faith is all about doing what is right, not knowing what is right. There are a great many (remember, the road is broad) that are confident in their knowledge of Scripture and fully expect, based upon their knowing “the right things,” that the doors of life are open to them. But they are deceived by their supposed Biblical “sophistication.”

But like the wise-fools represented by the sand-builders, they build their own theological systems based upon what they want to incorporate into their religion while ignoring those parts of Scripture that don’t fit into their lifestyle. Ironically, they often claim a “freedom” that leads to the worst kind of bondage of all. They are bound to the broad road that only ends in destruction.

In the end, they will be found to have idolized their theological systems and intellectual prowess. The righteousness in action that they were so uninvolved with in life will come back to haunt them in death.

So there we have an important warning from Yeshua to those who think they are following Him but really are not. His warning is followed by three specific ways that one can be pursuing “Yeshua,” but completely missing the gate He calls for them to enter through. Many are on the broad road of “almost anything goes” in terms of Biblical teachers, practice, or knowledge. But Yeshua calls us through the very narrow gate of following His teachers, His Torah, and His example of faith in deed and not just words.

Let’s take another look at the opening warning. That warning is not to the world at large, it is to those that actually think they are on the right path with Yeshua. It is significant that this warning and the applications that followed were given to those who went up the mountain with Him. They were His disciples. Or at least they thought they were at the moment. Yeshua was not offering this warning to the world. He had other warnings to give them. He was directing His words to His flock. Or at least to those who thought they were.

So let’s heed Yeshua’s words and examine ourselves under their light. Are we paying attention to teachers that speak to Biblical truth but live the world’s lies? Are we impressed with the things we are doing for the kingdom, or are the words of the King being impressed upon us? And are we building our lives upon obedience to YHWH’s way or are we building sandcastles of the shifting sands and tides of our own moral whims and fancies (or fantasies)?

We know better brethren because He has taught us better. So let us do better, as unto the reverence and honoring of our King. In so doing we enter the narrow gate to which He calls us. L’chaim, mishpocha!

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let me know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
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