Mensa Otabil - Avoid the Broad Way (10/28/2025)
Well, so far we have said that life is a choice and that Jesus holds the key. Now we’re going to look at the two options that Jesus presents to us. Matthew 7:13 states, «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.» Jesus says there are two kinds of ways: the broad and the narrow. Today, we look at the broad gate, and He shows us that these paths don’t lead to the same destination. In the immediate context, Jesus is talking about eternal life and eternal damnation, but the principle applies to other choices we make in our lives. There is a broad way and there is a narrow way. He talks about three different things that we will consider today.
First, He discusses the wide gate. The wide gate is a gate that is widely open; it has no access control. This is something or an option in life that everybody can enter into; it’s open to all. It has no rules, no restrictions, and it appeals to everybody. It rolls out the welcome mat to everyone. Now, when we look at life and we see something that everybody is doing, everybody is going through that way, it is easy. It doesn’t demand anything from us, and it welcomes everybody. We have to be very careful because Jesus cautioned against the Broadway. Sadly, today, this gate is getting wider and wider and wider. Permissiveness and anything goes seem to be the way of our world today. Unfortunately, a few Christians are walking such a way because they want convenient access; they want no restrictions, and they want something that appeals to everybody.
So, the first feature of this wrong direction is that the access is open to all. Secondly, it is a Broadway; it is easy to travel on. Those who enter make no sacrifices. There’s no carrying of a cross; there is no pressure. It’s just, «Everybody, feel free; everybody, just enjoy life as it comes.» These days you hear people saying things like, «I want to enjoy my life.» It’s good to enjoy life, but when enjoying life becomes all that we want, when having peace of mind is all that we desire, when just wanting to be happy is our only goal, then we are in danger of walking on the Broadway. The Christian life does not tell us to just enjoy life and be happy and have our peace of mind. No, the Christian life talks about trials, tribulations, and difficulties. Even beyond the Christian life, anything that is worthy of pursuit comes with sacrifices, effort, and hard work that we must put in to garner the results.
So, the wrong way has a wide gate; it is a Broadway. Jesus says many are on it. I hope you’re not one of the many who are walking on the Broadway, who want to get results without working hard. Sometimes, you even see it in the church: people just want you to anoint them with oil, believing that will solve all their problems. They don’t want to work at their marriage; they want a marriage anointing. They don’t want to work hard; they just want a prosperity anointing. Yes, God anoints us, but His anointing does not take work out of the equation. If you want your marriage to work, in addition to being prayed for, you have to work hard at it. You have to work hard at your business, work hard at school to get your grades. Everything that God wants us to have requires a lot of hard work.
So, if you want to know the path that we must not choose, Jesus says it’s called the wide gate; it’s a Broadway. Many are on it, but I’m persuaded that that’s not the road you are on. Even if you are on that road today, you can get off that road to the next road that we’ll talk about tomorrow. Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me to resist the temptation to choose the easy path. I want to choose your way. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»