Third in a series on Israel and what we can learn from the Jewish people.
“You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and it’s gate is wide to the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” — Matthew 7:13-14
When you go to Israel, no matter how long it takes you to get there—you’ll not rest until you go to the Old City of Jerusalem, the city that is inside the walls. That’s where almost all tours start. You’ll most likely enter the Old City by the Jaffa Gate, so named because its road leads straight to the city of Jaffa on the coast of Israel (now just outside of the modern city of Tel Aviv). It’s biblical name was Joppa, where Peter and Cornelius hand their encounter and Peter began to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10). The Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem has a beautiful plaza built around the opening to accommodate a lot of people. It’s easy to manage.
If you turn right after you enter the Jaffa Gate, you’ll be in the Armenian quarter (Orthodox Church). If you turn left you’ll be in the Christian quarter (Catholic Church). Eventually, but probably on another day, as we did, you’ll stroll through the Jewish quarter in the Old City, visit the western wall and the Hasmonean tunnel, then go out the Muslim quarter. The speakers throughout the Muslim quarter announcing the call to daily prayer never let you forget where you are.
There is a “fifth” quarter in the old city—the Temple Mount on which the Dome of the Rock rests, which is controlled by Islamic fundamentalists of the El Aqsa mosque. You probably won’t get to visit that site. The Muslims who claim the area are extremely touchy about who gets to visit even though it is overseen by a supposedly neutral group called the Islamic Waqf who promised to play fair. But not when we were there. Sadly, this area belonged to God’s people long before anyone ever heard of the prophet Mohammed. It’s the biblical site of the Temple and the Holy of Holies.
Gates were important in the cities of antiquity and Jerusalem was no exception. They were necessary because almost every city of size was a fortified city—surrounded by walls that were high and wide. Gates kept people out and they let people in. They also kept people safe from their enemies. Some gates, like the Jaffa Gate, were wider because they were more used by the traffic of the day—both human and animal.
Some gates were narrow and less used because of where they led to outside the city—such as garbage dumps, burial grounds, and crucifixion sites. One of those gates was a very narrow one called the Sheep Gate, and it was through this gate that Jesus entered into Golgotha. He was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus was a master at using things that were common in everyday life to which people could easily relate. All had the purpose of providing illustrations while making a point and to help his teaching be more easily remembered. Here he speaks of two gates, one is narrow and the others is wide. No doubt he had the gates of Jerusalem in mind when he spoke of the choices we make in life.
God confronts us at so many of the intersections of our lives that—depending on our choices—we invite a blessing or a catastrophe. In his words above, he presents us with a choice. There is a wide and easy gateway to life, and there are many who take it; but the end is their ruin. There is also a narrow gate to life but it’s a harder way, and there are few who take it, but the end of it is life. God told the people of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, “See I am stetting before you the way of life and the way of death” (Jeremiah 21:8). Now comes Jesus, God in the flesh, who reminds Israel again, that life and death depends upon their choices.
Learning to live God’s word always demands a choice. There are no shortcuts—no easy ways. You have to read it, study it, memorize it, perfect its meaning in your life and then live it and see it work—and it does. It’s always God’s best for you and when you know what is right and do it, it always results in a blessing.
Michelangelo is a great example of one who made the right choices. He is recognized as one of the greatest painters and sculptors of all time. His many masterpieces, including the sculpture of David have inspired mankind for over 400 years. While painting the frescoes on the high ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he spent countless hours on his back on high scaffolding, carefully perfecting the details of each figure. A friend once asked him why he took such pains with figures which could be seen only at a distance by viewers. “After all,” said the friend, “who will know whether it is perfect or not”?
“I will,” was his reply.
When we walked through the Old City of Jerusalem again on the last day of our visit, we left by a different gate called the Lion’s Gate, so named because of the lions engraved on it walls. It is the traditional site of the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:59-60). It’s a very narrow gate and difficult to maneuver with a car or truck. As we stood outside its entrance to take some pictures, we saw a car coming through the gate and watched to see the driver attempt to negotiate that difficult turn which we noticed caused some drivers to have to back up. He sailed right through. No doubt he had done that before—many times. That’s the way I want to drive through the narrow gate that leads to life. How about you?
Maranatha!
Pastor Don
To help us walk closer with God and to know him better.
