The Gate

Picture this:

You go to bed, getting snug under the blankets, and fall asleep. A dream starts for you too. In it, you start out standing in front of this huge, broad gateway with many people all around you going through it.

On the other side, you see so many people milling about every which way. There is so much going on and the road that holds it all is huge! There are so many booths advertising so many different things. You see some people happy in the area they enjoy the most, some wandering aimlessly looking confused and overwhelmed by all that’s going on, others it’s to much to handle and they’re just about in tears because they don’t see what they want.

You decide to walk through the gate. But you too, aren’t satisfied. You walk over to the left near the booth where so many seem to enjoy, yet you think what’s being sold is silly, trash. You go to the booth on the right, like what they are selling and buy it…. Only to get bored of it shortly after and throw it away… You check out many other booths but realize none of it is really what you’re searching for. None of it is satisfying and you are confused because you don’t see what you want.

You walk on some more when you notice something. It’s off to the side, another gateway. There’s a guy standing by it, but other than him there seems to be no one paying the gate any mind… Probably because it’s so tiny. Your curiosity is peaked though, and you walk over to it.

The man notices you and smiles. He tells you there is something that will satisfy your wants beyond this gateway. You are confused though, because if there was more to be held beyond this point, how come no one else is milling on through? You look past the gate and see this really narrow, small path and wonder how it will lead to what you want.

The man notices your unsure expression and simply says, “what? Don’t you believe me? A lot don’t, but I have a feeling you will.” You look at the man and see the genuineness in his eyes and decide to believe him. You take a step closer to him and the small gateway.

He reaches out his hand to shake yours. You take it and he shakes it and says he’s happy to learn you believe him and walks you through the gate… You wake up.

Do you realize there are two gates in real life?

The narrow gate and the wide gate. Many enter the wide gate pulled in by the lies that there are many things that can give them, fulfillment, satisfaction, life… None of it is true, none of it lasts. For some, they may be okay with that. But for others they are continually searching, as nothing is satisfying. Some are close to tears because they can’t help but wonder, “is this all there really is to life?”

The other gate is small, and narrow. But it is filled with truth, and leads to the most fulfilling, satisfying, eternal life. It is small and narrow because there is only one single thing that can lead to life. That is Jesus Christ. He is the gate. That man in the dream? Who asked if you believe him? That was Jesus.

Believing in Jesus is the only way to the kingdom of God, because he alone died for our sins and made us acceptable to God. Living his way is not poplar. At times it is not even easy. But it is true and it is right.

So stop walking the broad path. Stop buying things from booths that only provide temporary satisfaction. Approach Jesus, standing by the narrow gate. Shake his hand and walk with him through the gate. Stay on the narrow path. You will not regret it.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14