The Narrow Gate

     “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14, Good News Translation)

These verses remind me of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” You know the one. It ends with “I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Both of these, however, make me think of a fork in the road. There’s a road to the left and a road to the right, and which one should you take?

Hubby left a random fork on our washing machine last night. When I picked it up, it dawned on me. A fork usually has four tines, which to my mind means four choices. I know an eating utensil is a totally different fork than the one in the road, but bear with me.  

People who take the far-left fork blatantly commit all the sins with no remorse. They lie, cheat, steal, have affairs, and maybe even kill. They don’t know Jesus at all and they use His name in vain.  

People who choose the next road over try to be good people. They heard about the Ten Commandments and thought it would make sense to at least keep the biggies, like killing and stealing. They provide for their families and try to help out people in need. But no matter how good they are, they don’t know Jesus as their Savior.  

The tine second from the right is the one people pick who go to church, try to keep all of the Commandments, and usually ask for forgiveness. They say their prayers and help out strangers. The problem is everything they are doing is just stuff they do. They say their prayers to some invisible God because they have been told to. They haven’t asked Jesus into their lives; they don’t have a relationship with Him.

Lastly, the path to the far right, the road less taken, the one through the narrow gate. The one which the fewest people choose, but those are the people who try to keep the Commandments, who ask for forgiveness, who have asked Jesus Christ into their lives, and have a personal relationship with Him.

Which path have you chosen?