Two
Trees
The thirty
silver pieces were placed within his palm
He
grabbed them and he walked away appearing to be calm
But a
voice cried out within his heart, “You fool, what have you done?”
“You
placed the kiss of death upon the cheek of God’s own Son.
“I
followed Him for years”, said Judas, trying to ease his mind.
“I
watched Him heal the sick and give new eyesight to the blind?”
“He
raised the dead, changed water to wine and made the demons flee.”
“But,
in all the years I walked with Him, what did He do for me?”
“No
silver or gold, no cattle or land, or any kind of pay.”
He only
taught me how to live and love, and how to pray.
“I owe Him nothing more than this, He deserved just what He got.”
“I owe Him nothing more than this, He deserved just what He got.”
Poor
Judas never truly heard the things that Jesus taught.
As
Jesus’ hands were bound and He was cruelly dragged away
He knew
He’d been betrayed by one who’d supped with Him that day.
A voice
cried out within His heart, “My child, what did you do?”
“But
I’ll give the gift of life to you, if you’ll allow Me to.”
“You
followed me for years, and witnessed miracles galore.”
“I
healed your soul and showed you things you’d never seen before.”
“I
built a home with streets of gold I want to share with you.”
“The
cattle on the hills are mine, which means they are yours too.”
“No
money did I give to you, but your sinful debt I’ll pay.”
“I bear
no grudge, I will forgive. Don’t turn your heart away.”
But
Judas clutched his silver coins and tucked them in his purse,
While
Jesus walked to Pilot’s hall, to face sin’s awful curse.
As
Judas pulled his coins out to view his rich reward,
He knew
he was a poorer man for selling out his Lord.
He hid
his eyes and ran away to find someplace to hide.
But
shame and guilt exposed his soul, no matter how he tried.
The
foolish man had turned away from Christ, his only hope.
He took
his thirty coins to town, and bought himself a rope.
Out on
a hill he found a tree, and hung himself that day.
Despair
made Judas think that death could be the only way.
But
nearby, on another hill, on another rugged tree
The man
he’d sold was hanging there, with love beyond degree.
In pain
and suffering He still asked His Father to forgive.
He died
that day so everyone could have a way to live.
So,
Judas died in vain that day to pay for what he’d done.
But
death had simply sealed his fate, with no place now to run.
He hung
upon a tree that day, a sad and desperate man.
The
gulf between his soul and God, a black and awful span
But,
Jesus died in pain that day to pay for all our sin.
His
death had sealed sin’s dreadful fate, true life could now begin.
The
awful gulf of sin was spanned when Jesus died that day.
He paid
the price and gave His life to take our sin away.
So, two
men died upon two trees to pay for sin that day.
But
only one death had the power to take that sin away.
It’s
still the same, our debt was paid the day that Jesus died.
Now we can
live eternally, in heaven by His side.
Janice Austin Bates
May 12, 1999
