THE TWO ROADS OF LIFE
By Steve Bietz
Burke County
Every March 26th, we celebrate one of the greatest American poets of the twentieth century. Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26th, 1874. Frequently honored during his lifetime, Frost is the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.
While in college, I took a literature class and Frost’s poem entitled, “The Road Not Taken” was one of the literary works that the class was required to analyze. One finds several themes in this well-known poem with its short four stanzas with five lines each. One sees indecisiveness, regret, risk, and nonconformity, to name a few as we watch the traveler choose one of the two roads.
In the greatest sermon ever shared, Jesus offers up a choice of roads. We find the two roads toward the end of the sermon on the mount in the Gospel of Matthew. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13,14
The Bible claims that this fork in the road is approached by every person that has ever walked on earth.
I appreciate the beautiful sentiment that is verified by the pen of Issac Watts as he tries to capture the Lord’s thoughts:
“Broad is the road that leads to death,
And thousands walk together there;
But wisdom shows a narrow path,
With here and there a traveler.”
Obviously, the example of life must not be taken from the multitude. I’m not saying that the majority is always wrong, but in the case of the two roads that Jesus presents, the majority have made a terrible mistake.
We see in the Gospel of John, Jesus attempting to prepare the disciples for the upcoming drama of His arrest and crucifixion. With an encouraging tone, Jesus says: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwellings; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” John 14:1-4 Thomas speaks up and asks the Lord: “How can we know the way,” and Christ responds: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Indeed the road to the Kingdom of Heaven is a path of self-sacrifice, self-denial, and a discipline of life that the majority will not choose. But having the Lord Jesus Christ walking beside us makes choosing the road to the Kingdom of Heaven a joyous highway. The best road is the one where we have our Redeemer Friend traveling by our side every step of the way.
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Steve Bietz is the pastor at Morganton Seventh Day Adventist Church. You can read more good Christian news from Pastor Steve Bietz HERE.
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Blue Ridge Christian News covers Burke County, McDowell County, Mitchell County, Yancey County, Madison County, in North Carolina, and Christian news from around the country.
