“Enter through the narrow gate…..small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
I don’t know Greek, but I have a little book that highlights a few hidden treasures found in the Greek New Testament. One of these is in Matthew 7:13-14 where it talks about the narrow way. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way 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.”
The Greek word for narrow is thlibo, meaning compressed or afflicted. In 2 Corinthians 1:6, it is translated “afflicted;” it’s “suffer tribulation” in 1 Thessalonians 3:4. In fact, the Greek word thlipsis is used over and over again in the New Testament to describe the normal path of the Christian through this world! In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation” (thlipsis). In Romans 5:3, we find this word again, “We glory in tribulation.” Once again, in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “Our light affliction,” the word is the same. The Bible makes it really clear that the narrow way is the way of tribulation.
Maybe you are experiencing some of that today. Tribulation can come to us in so many ways. Are you discouraged?! Listen! The last lap of this narrow way leads us to “the street of the city,” the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 21:21, 22:2) The word for street here is plateia. It means broad or wide! Amazing! The narrow way leads to the broad way paved with gold where there are many abodes! I think this is what Paul meant when he said, “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) The road of faith starts with the narrow way, a way of struggle, of tribulation perhaps. But one day soon it will open unto the broad avenue of heaven! Hold on! Keep your eyes on Christ whatever you are going through! It is temporary and will soon lead to seeing Jesus face to face.
Pastor Terry