What if the gate is narrow?

In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a striking claim:

Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

Spoiler alert: Jesus walked the talk, too.

For instance, he intentionally turned crowds away from him whenever he saw that they were interested in him merely as a spectacle, as a charismatic preacher, or as a free lunch. In response, he clarified the challenge and raised the cost.

So we read in John 6,

From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.

If Jesus was interested in large crowds, then the high point of his ministry might have been the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. As Matthew describes the event,

A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted:

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Wow! The whole city in an uproar? The crowds acknowledged him as a prophet!

Jesus is going viral!!!

Oh but wait. His popularity is short-lived. A few chapters later, the tide has turned:

The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

“Barabbas!” they answered.

Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

They all answered, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:20-23)

Within the span of six days, Jesus goes from hero to zero.

By the time he concluded his ministry, he’s down to his least impressive followers. Even Peter was left sputtering denials. Who’s left?

Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him were there, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons (Matthew 27:55-56).

The Scriptures honor these women! But culturally, Jesus is a big fail.

To sum it up:

Jesus doesn’t seem impressed when the crowds hit overflow capacity.

And He doesn’t seem discouraged when the crowd turns against him.

I wonder: do American evangelicals have the same “theology of crowds” as Jesus?

In my context, what raises money? What generates press? Perhaps big crowds and massive statistics?

I get it, it’s easy for me to say: I lead a tiny ministry.

Still, what if church growth is more about capitulation to our cultural obsession with pragmatism rather than faithfulness to the way of Jesus?

What if we need to prioritize health more than growth?

What if the pressure to grow and grow and grow builds organizational cultures that rationalize doing what's wrong?

What if a large crowd is a reason to be cautious - not excited?

What if we need to uphold a high cost of discipleship because it turns people away?

What if the gate is narrow?