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Robert Frost & The Season of Lent
Dear Rose Park,
Some of you might remember Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” from high school English class. To jog your memory, it’s the poem that beings, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…” Frost uses the metaphor of a traveler in the woods choosing one path over the other to explore the impact of decisions in our lives.
Throughout scripture we encounter a similar theme: the path of the righteous and the path of the foolish. Psalm 1 in particular opens our eyes to these two paths. We also come face-to-face with this dynamic during the season of Lent when we think about Judas and his willingness to forego an eternal relationship with Christ in order to gain immediate gratification on the path of the foolish.
The Gospel of John puts it this way:
21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom He was speaking. 23 One of His disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to Him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom He was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So, when He had dipped the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. (John 13: 21-27)
Judas took the path of foolishness and in doing so traded away an eternity of joy. As a brief side note, the Gospel of Matthew tells us Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. There is some discrepancy, but multiple historians have been able to agree that the thirty pieces of silver would approximately value around $200 today. Judas took immediate gratification over eternal joy. To put it differently, he quit the race and took the easy way out. It reminds me of the following passage in the letter to the Hebrews:
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12 :1-3)
Judas didn’t run the race with perseverance. Judas didn’t fix his eyes on the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Judas didn’t consider how Christ would endure the cross and the opposition from crowds. Judas took the easy way out by embracing immediate gratification and trading away an eternity of joy. In this season of Lent, it is my hope to avoid this path and instead intentionally pursue God with a growing sense of perseverance looking to Jesus on the path of righteousness.
Grace & Peace,
