Imagine a cliff overlooking a waterfall, with two ways to get to the top. One way comes across a wide meadow. The walk is enticing. Many people choose this way. It’s easy. The other way starts at the base of the waterfall and is a steep set of stairs carved into the rock. Few choose this way, because it isn’t as easy, and you must climb it mostly alone. Which way do you choose?
If the purpose is to see a waterfall, neither choice is wrong. But Jesus isn’t talking about waterfalls and meadows, or even narrow and wide gates. He’s talking about living a life pleasing to God, and in this sense, there is a right and a wrong way.
Many people choose the easy way. The easy way allows a person to live for themself, following their own desires, and chasing after what the world offers. It doesn’t require a person to ask, “Does this please God? Does this hurt someone else? Will this lead to my own downfall?” If it feels good in the moment, go for it.
The other way is harder, or as Jesus said, narrower, and few follow it. It’s the way that requires a person to keep their eyes focused on God, seeking to please God rather than self, and seeking to serve others. Walking across the meadow, you can look anywhere, or nowhere, but climbing the stairs requires you to watch where you step and stick close to the rock, which Jesus said is the word of God, the words that he spoke in his Sermon on the Mount.
When we choose to follow Christ, we are choosing the narrow way, the harder path. But the walk itself will bring us closer to God, and we’ll be rewarded in the end.
Prayer: God, help me to live a life that pleases you. Help me to love and serve others. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you. Amen.