So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there, you have the law and
the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the road,
that leads to destruction, and many go that way. How narrow is the gate that leads to life;
and how rough, the road; few there are, who find it.

Reflect

“The narrow gate.” The Gospel for today contains three parts: the pearls before the pigs
(Mt. 7:6), the golden rule (Mt. 7:12) and the narrow gate (Mt. 7:13-14). Jesus challenges
us to enter the narrow gate. Should we want to enter into life, the way is through the
narrow gate. We may now reflect how this metaphor of the narrow gate be related to
the imagery of pearls before the swine and to the golden rule? The golden rule is
clearly stated: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” The golden rule
gives a clear lesson that the self is only secondary. Jesus summons us, his followers, to
become otheroriented. Moreover, with regard to the parable of the pearls, it indicates that
the pigs are too preoccupied with themselves that they would fail to see the
true value of the pearls before them. Hence, to become more and more other-oriented is
akin to entering a narrow gate. It is never an easy process but it is the way to live up to the
challenge posed by the golden rule and to be less preoccupied by our own selves. 

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