Is there any proof in our world to validate Jesus' words that the road to life is narrow? We look around ourselves. Imagine that only a few make it through the narrow gate to reach the reward of life. What happened to the promised land?
Was Jesus not seeing the realities that we would encounter in our world today? Look at the large number of 4 and 5 bedroom "MacMansions" that have only one or two inhabitants. A fire chief friend of mine from a large south eastern city recently told me that his city, only a decade or two ago considered a city with a superabundance of poverty, it is the Lexus auto dealership that sports the largest number of sales for the last three years.
Is this a sign that the narrow gate does not seem to apply to most or is it that the reality of a truly Christian life has changed in the minds of many to include great abundance? The saints we honor today were men who were not poor. So why do we honor a 4th century man, Paulinus, and 15th century John Fisher and Thomas More?
These men, not suffering poverty, were strong believers in the gospel. They were men who were willing to stand up for the faith that had been handed on to them.
So, what is the real difference between this narrow road and the seemingly preferred wide road? Those who opt for the wide ride and all that it brings for them find themselves challenges by so many distractions that seek to pull them away from their faith. It is truly the strong person who maintains his/her commitment to the faith, the the baptismal promises that were made for them probably as children but then renewed annually as adults.
Our concern today is this: don't let the trappings of our modern world devalue our faith.
