1. Plot
"Strait is
the Gate" is a novel published in 1909 by Andre Gide of France.
The story began when Jerome was fourteen years old. Alissa was sixteen at the time. Jerome stayed at his uncle's place every time he was on school holidays.
The story began when Jerome was fourteen years old. Alissa was sixteen at the time. Jerome stayed at his uncle's place every time he was on school holidays.
One day, he saw his aunt
having an affair with a young officer. When Jerome went to Alissa's room, she was
weeping with kneeling at the bedside.
The moment he saw Alissa's face soaked
with tears due to her mother's infidelity, he fell in love, along with
compassion.
But even before love blossomed, the religious issue of secularity and holiness interrupted the relationship between the two.
It occurred when Jerome and Alissa heard a pastor's sermon on the subject of "Enter through a narrow gate" at the church service.
(Matthew 7:13)
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."
At the background of the pastor's sermon, there was Puritanism that dominated the society. The religious barrier was too high for the young lovers to breakthrough.
Jerome was pursuing Platonic love. It would've been the way for him to avoid conflict with Puritanism.
Alissa was going through a tougher time. Her mother's impure love would have given Alissa a negative image of love. She could neither get near nor stay away from Jerome.
She might have thought that she ought to seek absolute holiness rather than a human emotion that was changeable.
Of course, Alissa loved Jerome. But she had to choose. "The path you teach us is narrow. Two of us can't walk side by side."
But even before love blossomed, the religious issue of secularity and holiness interrupted the relationship between the two.
It occurred when Jerome and Alissa heard a pastor's sermon on the subject of "Enter through a narrow gate" at the church service.
(Matthew 7:13)
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."
At the background of the pastor's sermon, there was Puritanism that dominated the society. The religious barrier was too high for the young lovers to breakthrough.
Jerome was pursuing Platonic love. It would've been the way for him to avoid conflict with Puritanism.
Alissa was going through a tougher time. Her mother's impure love would have given Alissa a negative image of love. She could neither get near nor stay away from Jerome.
She might have thought that she ought to seek absolute holiness rather than a human emotion that was changeable.
Of course, Alissa loved Jerome. But she had to choose. "The path you teach us is narrow. Two of us can't walk side by side."
She finally decided to go on the way of self-denial and temperance.
Alissa got rid of everything that reminded her
of Jerome. Alissa got sick from a harsh fight with herself. At last, she faced
a lonely death in a nursing home.
2. Lessons
2. Lessons
At the root of this tragedy lies religious legalism. Truth sets us free(John 8:32), but a legal yoke doesn't.
Puritanism is excellent in terms of living a godly life. But the distorted Puritanism takes away happiness and joy from our lives and instead forces pain and sorrow.
Jesus said to the disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
The self-denial that the Lord said here is not the same as Alissa's rejection of romantic love.
Jesus encouraged his disciples
to follow His way, but Alissa followed the religious holiness instead.
The narrow gate in this novel is different from what Jesus spoke. The narrow gate of Matthew 7:13 leads us to the gate of life that the next verse of 7:14 mentions.
"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
The gate of life is none other than the gate of Jesus. It is a wide gate of grace, but we feel it narrow because it is 'only Jesus'.
The narrow gate in this novel is different from what Jesus spoke. The narrow gate of Matthew 7:13 leads us to the gate of life that the next verse of 7:14 mentions.
"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
The gate of life is none other than the gate of Jesus. It is a wide gate of grace, but we feel it narrow because it is 'only Jesus'.
Once we enter the narrow entrance, however, the endless mercy of God
welcomes us.
Unlike Alissa's idea, there is no way to be righteous through our religious efforts. That's why Jesus had to die.
It is only self-abuse to reject love and happiness and fall into misery and suffering. That sort of religious holiness is not the way to become a righteous person before God.
After reading the book, I asked myself a question to relieve my spiritual thirst.
Unlike Alissa's idea, there is no way to be righteous through our religious efforts. That's why Jesus had to die.
It is only self-abuse to reject love and happiness and fall into misery and suffering. That sort of religious holiness is not the way to become a righteous person before God.
After reading the book, I asked myself a question to relieve my spiritual thirst.
If Jerome and Alisa had
encountered the grace, not the law, listening to the 'narrow gate' sermon,
how would their love have changed?
I hope that Christian readers of this book will be the next main characters of the upcoming love story in their lives.
I hope that Christian readers of this book will be the next main characters of the upcoming love story in their lives.
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