"Beside the Gate"

Standing by the gate it seems,

Has always been my place,

To open up and close it back,

And trying to keep pace,

Way back when we sorted cows,

And Dad would holler catch,

Or if not he’d shout out pass,

With my hand upon the latch.

Some would go into the pen,

And some would run on by,

Up to me to get it right,

That’s why I’d always try.

Years have passed and time far gone,

Since those cattle sortin’ days,

And some we did a-horseback,

But you learned the livestock’s ways.

Anticipate what they would do,

Not let ‘em get away,

But get it done the best we could,

Just like my Dad would say.

And now I’m standing by the gate,

Where God lets people in,

Jesus is the gate, you see,

Into the saving pen.

And if I can I point the way,

And throw the gate so wide,

And hope that they won’t run away,

And find a place to hide.

Some are called to deeper things,

And I am proud for them,

But I like to stand beside the gate,

And point the lost to Him.

And when the race is run for me,

And I see Jesus’ face,

I hope that He will say to me,

You did well in your place.

Beside the gate that lets ‘em in,

The narrow way to find,

Forgive the ones on Him who call,

And give sight to the blind.

Wild and lost and almost gone,

O Lord, send us one more.

Lord of harvest, save their souls,

Show what the cross was for.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13, NAS)

This is one of the statements of Jesus that people question. That’s because the reality of which it speaks sounds intolerant. And tolerance is the only virtue that secular culture promotes. In fact they are not tolerant at all, but that’s another story. If Jesus is the Son of God, and we believe He is, then we must take seriously everything He says, not just the parts we like. Jesus is the way God has provided for all humanity to be saved. In that sense the gate is narrow because it depends upon the one sacrifice of one man for all time and eternity. For that reason it has been called the “scandal of particularity.” But that is exactly the gospel of Jesus, and to think otherwise is unbelief. When we find Him, we find the narrow gate that leads to broad blessing.

Lord, help us to find and point to the narrow way, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Mary Peters, used by permission. Thanks, Mary, and God bless you.