Two Paths

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost speaks of two paths. It's a famous poem. Even if you don't like poetry, it's worth reading.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

When Jesus surrendered Himself to die on the cross, two paths emerged for humankind.

One, the path taken by Peter, is the path of forgiveness freely given. Just hours after Jesus told the Roman guards “Let these go,” assuring Peter would not be arrested, Peter denied knowing Christ. When the cock crowed, Peter realized that Jesus knew he would deny Him and he crawled under a bridge and wept bitterly. This proud fisherman became humbled and brokenhearted. He no doubt prayed to JHWH for forgiveness.

Judas Iscariot took the other path. After betraying Jesus to the Romans, he realized what he did was wrong. Jesus had also told him beforehand that he would be the betrayer. In fear and anger, in remorse, Judas threw the 30 pieces of silver back at the Jewish leaders. He then hung himself from a tree and died.

Was he too proud to be humbled and brokenhearted? He could have wept and prayed as Peter did. Instead he chose a path of death.

Once Jesus the Christ arose, Peter obtained forgiveness for his denials. He obtained eternal life with his teacher, his friend, his Lord.

Two paths. One led to death, the other to life.

It is the same today.