Straight & Narrow

Matthew 7:12-29

Introduction

So there I was at my high school graduation dinner. Earlier in the day, I had graduated high school, and soon, I would be leaving with my buddies for the traditional right-of-passage of a week at Myrtle Beach without adult supervision. The dinner is wrapping up, and all have had a good time. As it was drawing near, my Southern Baptist Preacher dad said very plainly and clearly, “If you get arrested, don’t call for bail money.” I knew what he was saying. My maternal grandfather, a World War 2 Normandy Beach veteran, quietly said, “You can call me if you need bail.” I looked back at my dad with a sly grin, to which he responded with three simple words: “Straight and narrow. Straight and narrow, son.”

The "straight and narrow" concept is a path of righteous living and moral integrity. It represents the disciplined and focused journey toward fulfillment and eternal life. The Bible depicts this path as challenging yet rewarding, demanding steadfastness and adherence to divine principles. By navigating this path, individuals are called to eschew moral ambiguity and pursue a life aligned with spiritual truths, striving for a harmonious balance between faith, obedience, and personal growth.

The Sermon on the Mount closes with a call to decision. As he often does, Jesus teaches through metaphors, using four images that present alternative paths or choices. Jesus does not command; he presents possibilities and explains where they lead. Jesus concludes his message on kingdom life not with a summary of his points but with an appeal to follow him on the more challenging but better path.

Matthew 7:12–29 (ESV)

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

“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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

SCRIPTURAL ANALYSIS

We’ve been studying the Sermon on the Mount, and we’ve come to the end. In this wrap-up, Jesus challenged his listeners to choose at the end of his sermon. This challenge should prompt us to review “these words of mine” to which he referred.

Jesus challenges his disciples to examine themselves carefully so they do not deceive themselves about the authenticity of their commitment to him, for someday, they will be called to eternal accounting for their lives. He challenges the crowds to accept his invitation to the kingdom of heaven because their choice, either for or against him, has eternal consequences. In these four brief scenes that conclude the Sermon on the Mount, all of humanity stands before Jesus, and he asks us, “What will you do with me?”

Verses 12–14

In verse 12, where Jesus commands, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you," summarizing the Law and the Prophets. This principle emphasizes treating others with the same respect and kindness one would want in return. Next, will you enter the gate to life in the kingdom of heaven and embark on a life of following Jesus? Or will you reject Jesus for the popular road that leads to destruction? The narrow gate and road are much more restrictive because it is limited to Jesus and his way of discipleship. The gate you go through on the way to eternal destruction is wide, and the road you take there is easy to travel on. Many people take that way. But the gate that leads to life is really narrow, and the way there is full of difficulties. Few people follow that way. But it is the only gate to find life.

Verses 15–20

Will you find in Jesus the inner source of transformation that will produce the good fruit of life? Or will you follow the prophetic voices of this world that hype a promise of life but will only take you into the fires of hell? The world tries to offer us hope and joy when it, in fact, has none to give. The common theme between the two metaphors is the attempt to deceive but the inability to do so. A wolf may get away with his deception for a time, but his true nature will become apparent when his natural instinct forces him to act like a predatory wolf.

Verses 21–23

Will you obey the Father’s will and come to Jesus as your only Lord? Or will you chase after false manifestations of modern spirituality that result in eternal separation? The point of the passage is that someone’s acknowledgment of Jesus’ deity will not be sufficient for their entrance into the kingdom if they have not done the will of the Father. Jesus went to great lengths to demonstrate the importance of righteousness by faith alone in Christ alone as the criterion for entry into the kingdom. An oral confession of Jesus as Lord can mask an unrepentant heart, so Jesus says that entrance to the kingdom of heaven is reserved for those who do “the will of my Father who is in heaven” (7:21). The will of the Father means obedience to the call to the kingdom of heaven that will result in true righteousness.

Verses 24–29

Will you build your life on Jesus as your solid rock? Or will the pleasant ease of your life cause you to be unprepared for the storms that will come in this life and that will ultimately wash you away into the abyss of the afterlife? It is not enough to hear Jesus’ call or even to respond with some temporary flurry of good deeds. Instead, we must build a solid foundation combining an authentic commitment to Christ and persevering obedience. As R. T. France wrote, “The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not meant to be admired but to be obeyed.” The difference between life and destruction boils down to what a person hears and believes and what he does. What you really believe shows up in what you actually do.

TODAY’S KEY TRUTH

The Impact of Jesus is Evident in the Choices and Relationships of His followers.

APPLICATION

Matthew 7:12-29 is a powerful conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus offers guidance on how to live righteously in the eyes of God. Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with warnings that our eternal destinies are at stake. He warns his disciples to examine themselves to be sure that they are truly members of the kingdom of heaven, not simply those who profess outwardly allegiance. He warns the crowds to consider the alternative of following him or the popular religious leadership. Jesus warns the religious establishment about their culpability for leading the people in the wrong direction. In each of the four basic warnings—two gates and roads (7:13–14), two kinds of prophets (7:15–20), two kinds of disciples (7:21–23), and two foundations (7:24–27)—a choice must be made: Are you with Jesus or against him? There is no middle ground, no other choices. A decision must be made with eternal consequences.

In these four brief scenes that conclude the Sermon on the Mount, all humanity stands before Jesus, and he asks each of us, “What will you do with me?” In the end, Jesus Christ says, “Here’s the broad road, and this is the road you’re naturally on. Here’s the narrow road that leads to life. You have to decide which to follow.”

Jesus challenges us to decide. There is no comfortable middle ground. Christianity is not about being very good, or very bad, or very comfortable. It is about being in God’s kingdom or staying out. It is about allegiance to God or rebellion. It is about being on the road that starts narrow but opens out into the life of heaven or staying on the super highway of our self-centredness until it comes to a dead halt in final destruction. It's a monumental choice. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we are not permitted merely to admire the teachings; we are challenged to surrender and follow the teacher.

The Impact of Jesus is Vvident in the Choices and Relationships of His followers.

CONCLUSION

Our culture’s compartmentalization between a person’s personal and professional life was a foreign concept to Jesus. We see that today in our politicians, famous stars, and even ourselves. But Jesus is clear there is no disconnect between what we believe and what we do if we are authentic. Jesus disagrees that what you believe does not matter as long as you are sincere. He does not allow us to climb up to God by the route of our choice. He does not fit in with our shallow pluralism. Instead, he calls us to the straight and narrow path.

Jesus challenges his disciples to examine themselves carefully so that they do not deceive themselves about the authenticity of their commitment to him, for someday, they will be called to eternal accounting for their lives. He challenges the crowds to accept his invitation to the kingdom of heaven because their choice is either for or against him and has eternal consequences. Jesus is calling us to the straight and narrow path of following him because that is the way that leads to eternal life.

The Impact of Jesus is Evident in the Choices and Relationships of His Followers.

When he called his community together, Jesus gave its members a new way of life to live. He gave them a new way to deal with offenders: forgiving them. He gave them a new way to deal with violence: by suffering. He gave them a new way to deal with money: by sharing it. He gave them a new way to deal with leadership problems: drawing on every member's gift, even the most humble. He gave them a new way to deal with a corrupt society: by building a new order, not just complaining about the old. He gave them a new pattern of relationship between man and woman, between parent and child, between leader and follower, which made concrete a radical new vision of what it means to be a human person.

Jesus confronts us with himself, sets the radical choice between obedience and disobedience before us, and calls us to an unconditional commitment of mind, will, and life to his teaching. Jesus’ followers are to make choices each day that lead to life. The righteousness of Jesus’ followers will be evident in their relationships and daily decisions.

‌The Impact of Jesus is Evident in the Choices and Relationships of His Followers.

Every religion and every human heart, unless the Holy Spirit and the Bible grab hold of you, believes this is how it works: You give God a good record, and then God does things for you. You give God a good record, you know, you do this and that, and then God will bless you and answer your prayers. You give God a good record, and then God does things for you.

The Gospel is God gives you a perfect record through Jesus Christ, so you are totally accepted, totally adopted, totally loved, delighted in, and treasured by God. Then you, the rest of your life, completely live for him. That is the choice we have. Either we believe that “If I give God a good record, he’ll do for me,” which is the broad path to destruction. Or we believe the straight and narrow of, “Because God has given me a perfect record in Christ, I will now live for him.”

The Gospel is straight and narrow because it requires that you believe salvation is through Christ alone. But in Christ, we find life, and we give life to the world around us.

The Impact of Jesus is Evident in the Choices and Relationships of His Followers.