Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat :
This teaching comes from the Sermon on the Mount — a long, famous address Jesus gave to crowds gathered on a hillside, recorded in Matthew's Gospel. Near the end of this sermon, Jesus gives a series of warnings about the difference between genuine and superficial faith. Here he draws a stark contrast: a wide gate with a broad, easy road that leads to destruction, and a narrow gate that leads to life. The word 'destruction' in the original language suggests ruin — not necessarily a dramatic end, but a slow wasting of what could have been. The image of a gate suggests that the defining choice happens at the entrance, not at the destination. Jesus is not describing literal geography; he is describing two fundamentally different ways of living — and he is honest that the life he calls people to is not the path of least resistance.
Jesus, I'll be honest — the narrow road doesn't always sound appealing. But I trust that you know the way, because you walked it first. Give me the courage to choose it, not out of fear, but because you are on the other side of that gate. Amen.
The wide road has several genuinely appealing qualities. It's comfortable. It doesn't ask much. Nobody raises an eyebrow at you on the wide road, because everyone is on it. Jesus doesn't say the wide road is obviously terrible — he says it's popular. And there is something genuinely unsettling about a Jesus who says the majority of people are heading somewhere you do not want to go. We live in a time that deeply distrusts anyone who claims one path is right. And yet here is Jesus, not apologetically suggesting but flatly declaring: enter through the narrow gate. The narrow gate isn't narrow because God enjoys making things hard. It's narrow because it requires you to put down what you're carrying — ego, comfort, the right to stay unbothered, the need to be liked by everyone. Wide roads accommodate whatever you want to bring. The narrow path asks you to travel light. That's not punishment — that's an invitation. And here's what's worth sitting with honestly: the narrow gate doesn't mean the lonely life. It means the chosen life — chosen deliberately, eyes open, knowing what you're walking toward and who is waiting on the other side of it. Which road does your daily life most resemble right now?
What clues does this passage give about what actually makes a road 'wide' versus 'narrow' — what does each road ask of the people traveling it?
When you reflect honestly on your daily choices — what you prioritize, how you spend your time, what you're willing to sacrifice — which road does your life most closely resemble?
Jesus is making an exclusive claim here — that many people are heading toward destruction. How do you wrestle with that honestly, without either softening it away or wielding it harshly against the people around you?
How does this teaching shape how you think about people in your life who are on a different road — what is the difference between genuine concern for them and judgment of them?
What is one specific thing — a habit, a comfort, an attitude you've been protecting — that you sense you need to put down in order to more fully enter through the narrow gate?
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Proverbs 14:12
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psalms 1:1
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Proverbs 16:25
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:9
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isaiah 35:8
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6
For many are called, but few are chosen.
Matthew 22:14
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:7
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it.
AMP
“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.
ESV
'Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
NASB
The Narrow and Wide Gates “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
NIV
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
NKJV
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
NLT
"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.
MSG