Chaplain’s Corner

Narrow is the Path

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6  

How does this verse make you feel? When you read it, I consider that there are at least three responses…

1. For some they will read this verse and say “ouch”. “That verse seems really exclusive.”
2. The second response to reading this verse, might be… Intrigue. Who is the Father? How is Jesus the way, and what does it matter?

3. A sense of relief and gratitude that, instead of there being some overly complicated path, there is a simple one. 

    

John 14:6 can be viewed both as exclusive (only open to and relevant to certain people), or it can be paradoxically viewed as incredibly and generously inclusive. I wonder what your take is on it?

It is exclusive because it sets a singular, non-negotiable path to God, through faith in Jesus, and it’s unapologetic about that. Yet it's inclusive because it’s an offer, a gift to one and all, no matter your social standing, your wealth, your intelligence, your background or your past. 

According to this verse, we are not buying our way into a club, nor are we earning it by being “good”, or because we are “better” than others. God and His heavenly kingdom is suddenly accessible to all alongside His inheritance, His promises, His gifts!

Wide is the gate. Narrow is the path.

So in it’s simplicity, this can seem easy right? The way is Jesus, He is the truth and the life. Jesus is a gift freely given. Easy. Perhaps at face value, simple… but not necessarily easy? 

Jesus Himself recognises, that whilst it is easy to say, it can be surprisingly hard for many to accept and live out. He describes it like this:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus commands His followers to choose the more difficult of two roads, which are accessed via two different gates. 

The wide gate opens to an easily travelled roadway, but watch for its pitfalls and its temptations, as it actually leads to destruction, says Jesus. He was warning, that the religious teachers of His time, were emphasising outward actions (what people said and did), rather than focusing on what really mattered to God—an authentic and surrendered heart. 

The people of Israel thought of themselves as safe and with inherited privilege because of birthright, however, Jesus had come to set things right, to redirect them to the simple but more difficult, narrow path. 

The wide path gives the impression that all roads lead to salvation, that there can be many different approaches, but Jesus was saying, this is about following, not a way but “the” way. Not a “what” but a “who”!

The narrow gate opens to a far harder way, the way of following Jesus. Jesus knew that people would question His followers, mock them, persecute them and even kill them for choosing Him, but He was making it clear, the path of Jesus is the only path, to eternal and abundant life. 

Jesus goes on to warn His followers that there will be many who would try to lead you astray, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, to get you off the path of righteousness and have you lose sight of the true goal, to be distracted by every temptation or false teaching or even… our own self-deception. But ultimately, Jesus wants you to know that He has made a way, it is a right and trustworthy way, and He paved it and paid for it with His very own life.

Amen?

Romans 5:8 says, that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” by sending Christ to carry the burden we couldn’t. Before you fixed anything…. Before you cleaned anything up... Before you “earned” anything.

The narrow path isn’t narrow because God is trying to shut people out. It’s narrow because there is only one person big enough, strong enough, loving enough to carry us—and that is Jesus.

So the invitation today is simple… Not to try harder. Not to pretend you have got it all together. Not to pay a debt you cannot pay.

The invitation is to follow the One, who already paid it in full. To step through the small gate that leads to a wide-open life. To walk the narrow way that was forged by grace, covered in mercy, and held secure by love.

Jesus says, “I am the way.” And the good news… the good news of Easter is… He is the way for you.

God bless,

Pastor Matt Daly

College Chaplain