Orthodoxy: The Narrow Gate?

[Gnarwhal]

I was reflecting on the words in St. Matthews epistle today on my way to work,

‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I started thinking to myself that Protestantism sounded like the broad gate and easy road. I won't venture to say that Protestantism leads to destruction (though I suppose a case could be made for that), but as someone who's been a Protestant for 20+ years and having been looking at Orthodoxy for about a year now, I can definitely say that Protestantism is easy. It's almost something that Protestants (at least Evangelicals) boast about. They tend to cite Christ's calling to follow him because his yoke is easy and his burden is light, but I have this feeling in my bones that much of Protestantism has misinterpreted what he meant to mean that the Christianity should be as bare as possible.

As an Orthodox Christian would you say that Orthodoxy is the narrow gate and hard road as compared to Protestantism?

I realize this has the potential to be a very polarizing question but I figured I'd ask it anyway.

 

[gzt]

It may be useful personally to think of it like that sometimes, but it remains a rebuke once you're Orthodox because we're all on that long hard journey to sainthood and it's always tempting to take the wide and easy path, which is available while remaining an Orthodox Christian in good standing.

Christ's saying are full of dichotomies - "Come to me, ye weary and heavy laden... my yoke is easy and my burden is light." But, on the other hand, "Take up your cross and follow me," and a cross is a heavy thing and it's the instrument of your own execution. He says that He will give us rest, but that we have to climb on the road that is hard.

But, yes, if you interpret "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" to mean that Christianity is supposed to be bare bones, you're missing the point.

 

[Tigger45]

Matthew 11:28-30

English Standard Version (ESV)

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I think I might of just figured out the Orthodox teaching on Matthew 11:30. It is verse 29. Because the Orthodox see the church as a spiritual hospital and not a court room? In Orthodoxy there is a lot more daily prayer and frequent fasting and church services but through the Apostolic administration of administering the grace of God through the mysteries of the sacriments and confession the persons soul
begins to heal and transform to the likeness of Christ thereby relieving the suffering of the person's soul?

 

[ArmyMatt]

I always kinda saw it as the gate being the Father's House, which is the Church in one definite sense. but I think when looking at it from an Orthodox vs Protestant POV, I think that what Orthodoxy is, is Christ handing you all this stuff (Bible, sacraments, saints' lives, canons, icons, etc) free of charge to get you to and through that narrow gate. Protestantism, it seems, picks what they think is important (Bible) and set off without everything.

so can they enter the narrow gate? absolutely, but it is far easier to get off track.

just me thoughts

 

[Gnarwhal]

It may be useful personally to think of it like that sometimes, but it remains a rebuke once you're Orthodox because we're all on that long hard journey to sainthood and it's always tempting to take the wide and easy path, which is available while remaining an Orthodox Christian in good standing.

Christ's saying are full of dichotomies - "Come to me, ye weary and heavy laden... my yoke is easy and my burden is light." But, on the other hand, "Take up your cross and follow me," and a cross is a heavy thing and it's the instrument of your own execution. He says that He will give us rest, but that we have to climb on the road that is hard.

But, yes, if you interpret "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" to mean that Christianity is supposed to be bare bones, you're missing the point.

I always kinda saw it as the gate being the Father's House, which is the Church in one definite sense. but I think when looking at it from an Orthodox vs Protestant POV, I think that what Orthodoxy is, is Christ handing you all this stuff (Bible, sacraments, saints' lives, canons, icons, etc) free of charge to get you to and through that narrow gate. Protestantism, it seems, picks what they think is important (Bible) and set off without everything.

so can they enter the narrow gate? absolutely, but it is far easier to get off track.

just me thoughts

That makes sense.

I'm sure the Orthodox vs. Protestant contrast wasn't what Christ had in mind when he said that, since Protestantism wasn't even around yet. I guess it was just an interesting, coincidental, analogy that could be drawn.

I guess it could be used to illustrate how the over-simplified, reductionist nature of Protestantism is "easier" in the sense that there's not much to it. There's not much involved in taking part and so it doesn't have much staying power either. I remember Fr. Andrew Damick saying Evangelical churches are like revolving doors, in any given Evangelical church the people you would see in the congregation now wouldn't be the same people that were there five years ago. I thought that was a poignant statement. True and poignant.

 

[Tigger45]

My AOG pastor said we were like herding cats. lol It would be tough for a shepard to herd cats through a narrow gate.