At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issues a series of four contrasts, that serve as warnings:

• The two ways (Matthew 7:13-14)
• Good and bad fruits (7:15-20)
• The sayers and the doers (7:21-23)
• The two foundations (7:24-27)

These four contrasts are all stating the same warning, with different images. They build upon and illuminate one another.

I want to focus on the first one: The two ways. Once we understand what it means, they shall all be made plain.

Jesus said:

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. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
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Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV

This passage is often very badly misinterpreted, in a couple of different ways.

First, this passage is sometimes interpreted to mean that only a few will be saved.

That’s problematic in light of a passage like Revelation 7:9, which describes the number of the redeemed as a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (NKJV).

That hardly sounds like a few! Indeed, Christ elsewhere describes His kingdom as like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches. (Luke‬ ‭13:19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Likewise, in Matthew 13:24-30, He describes His kingdom as a wheat field with some tares; not a field of tares with a few noble pieces of wheat peaking through.

The second, and more common way this parable is interpreted, is moralistically.

On this reading, these verses are a stern warning to stay on the narrow path of obedient discipleship, working very hard at the way of salvation, or else you might lose your salvation.

Now, there’s a very good reason why this passage cannot mean either one of those things: that we must work very hard, lest we lose our salvation; or, that very few people will be up to working so hard, and will abandon the way of salvation.

Here is that very good reason: Jesus wasn’t preaching to Christians when He said that.

Now, of course, it’s scripture. It’s Christian scripture. And it is God’s Word for Christians. The Sermon on the Mount speaks to us, and shapes our lives. I’m not arguing against that.

What I mean is, when He actually preached this Sermon, those who heard it “live” were not Christians.

His disciples were a handful of fishermen fresh off the boat (Matthew 4:18-22); and the crowds who were listening in were a motley crew of Galileans who’d been healed by Him, or heard Him speak in their synagogues (4:23-25).

They wouldn’t have heard all this the way we might.

Jesus had not yet had a multi year ministry; He had not been crucified; or raised from the dead; or ascended to heaven.

Of course, saving faith—Christian faith—rests upon believing these objective facts. But those things hadn’t happened yet.

That’s my point when I say that Jesus wasn’t preaching to Christians.

With that in mind, here’s what Christ was getting at when He said those words about the broad way, and the narrow way, and how few would find the narrow way that leads to life.

The disciples and the crowds who first heard Jesus didn’t know all those things would happen: But Jesus did!

And what He was telling them was, essentially: Look, you don’t know this yet, but the time will come when My way will lead to controversy, scorn, and danger. And eventually My own death. When that time comes, you will be tempted to fall by the wayside—and many of you will. But if you keep on with me, I promise that you’ll find with me the gate that opens to life everlasting.

Christ had in mind here the often puny-looking results of His earthly ministry.

Remember that in John 6, after great multitudes had been following Him, then there were only twelve.

And on the night He was arrested, only three went with Him to the garden to pray.

And when He went on trial, only two of the original disciples were with Him.

And when He was dying on the cross—there was only one.

Remember that parable in Luke 13 I mentioned earlier—about how Christ’s kingdom is like a mustard seed? It starts so tiny, but grows into a great tree, and the birds take refuge in it?

Right after He told that parable, somebody asked Him: Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?

Here was His answer. It’s very similar to what He says in the Sermon on the Mount:

Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us! ’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out. They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the kingdom of God. Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.

Luke 13:24-30 CSB

Christ, who knew what was going to happen, was being honest: Right now, you’re only seeing the mustard seed of my church. Many will of you reject this way. But the day is coming when you will see Abraham’s children—children by faith—come from every nation under heaven to feast at my table. My ministry now is the mustard seed. But my church that will grow from it is the tree, and the multitude of Abraham’s children from all the nations, those are the birds that will nest in its branches.

In light of what Christ knew was to come, His warning about the two paths; and only a few finding the narrow way to life; was aimed squarely at His Jewish listeners in Galilee, including would-be disciples.

And it was this: When you see how things are going to go for me, many of you are going to be tempted to write me off completely. You will remember this Sermon and think: Oh, what lovely teachings He had! Too bad they were completely impractical. Don’t do that! If you keep on this path I’m setting for you, You will find me opening the narrow gate to you, that leads to eternal life.

He would repeat that admonition to His disciples—in particular Peter, who was about to deny Him—in much plainer language, on the night He was betrayed: Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Christ’s warning in Matthew 7:13-14 must be understood in the light of its context. It was an encouragement to His little band of disciples—and those in the crowd who might become His disciples—to stay with Him, even though they were only a few.

But in light of the other passages mentioned here, Christ knew they wouldn’t remain few for very long. He was planting His mustard seed. It would soon grow into a great church, welcoming a countless multitude from every nation under heaven to come and take refuge in Christ.

So He did not mean that Christians must work very hard to stay on the narrow path, but ultimately, only few would persevere and be saved.

Now, on this side of Christ’s ministry, death, and resurrection, His words do hit a little different.

And in my next post, I’ll explain what Matthew 7:13-14 (and by extension, the rest of the warnings at the end of the Sermon) means for Christians now.

For further reading:

James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7, an expositional commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1972): 247-49. 

Benjamin B. Warfield, “Are There Few That Be Saved?”, in Biblical and Theological Studies, 334-50, Ed. Samuel G. Craig (Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1968).