Matthew 7:12-14

Matthew 7:12-14

Therefore, all that you should desire that mankind should do to you, in the same manner do to them.  For this is the Law and the Prophets.  Enter through the narrow gate.  Because wide is the gate and spacious is the door that leads into destruction.  And many are the one who enter through it.  Because the gate is narrow and the door is having been in hardship that leads into life.  And few are the ones who find it.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

 Jesus opens this section of verses with the logical equivalent of “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”  As you desire to be treated, treat others the same way!  It’s really not a difficult practice.  But here’s the catch.  When you live by this policy, you will seldom be treated as you want to be treated.  You’ll be treated as others want to treat you.  So Jesus isn’t telling us that if we live this way that others will treat us as we desire to be treated.  Jesus is telling us that we should treat others as we would desire to be treated regardless of how other people treat us.

Is this a difficult teaching?  Why is there always a temptation to treat other people as we are treated?  What is the flaw of treating others as we are treated?  What is the benefit of treating others as we desire to be treated even if we aren’t treated that way?

Second Thought:

Jesus tells us about the broad and narrow gates as well as the spacious door and the door of hardship.  But what I am always stunned by is the description that Jesus gives for each door.  Jesus says that “many” find destruction.  Jesus says that “few” find life.  I’m pretty sure that the Son of God knows what He is talking about here.  So we need to take Him seriously.  To go through life with the perspective that most people find life just isn’t Biblical.  Many people find destruction as they pursue their own dreams and goals.  Few people find life as they embrace hardship and cast off their own desires while picking up God’s agenda.

So, are you “many” or are you “few?”  How do you know?

Third Thought:

If we look at the narrow gate, the way that the Greek describes the door is peculiar.  The Greek uses the participle tethlimmene (τεθλιμμένη) from the root verb thlibo (θλίβω) to describe the door.  The verb thlibo means “to lead into hardship” or “to suffer persecution.”  The tense of the particple is perfect, so it because the door of “having been in hardship.”  Jesus is not teaching that the door that leads to life brings about hardship or persecution.  Jesus is teaching that the door that leads to life is hardship and persecution.  You can’t avoid it.  If you stand up for Christ and if you live for Christ you will be persecuted and thrown into hardship.  That is the door through which we access life.

Do you anticipate persecution?  Do you embrace hardship?  Why is it difficult to be faithful in times of persecution?  Why is it easy to be faithful in the midst of persecution?  What is the benefit of hardship and persecution?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 7:15-20