The Gates of Moria have been opened. But as Frodo strode forward to enter he felt something seize him. As the others were seemingly fixed in place, Sam took action. Yet, at the same time, Bill the pony dashed away into the darkness. Samwise Gamgee had to make a decision. We discuss his choice and much more as we continue A Journey In The Dark as we read through The Lord of the Rings.

I Had To Choose, Mr. Frodo

Sam loves Bill the pony. The beast is dear to him. But at the moment that Sam must chose to chase after Bill, or to come to the aid of Frodo, he does not hesitate; he chooses his master, Frodo. We have discussed Sam in the past. He is one of our favorite characters in the Lord of the Rings. In fact, J.R.R. Tolkien referred to him as “the chief hero” [Letter 131]. And his devotion and loyalty to Frodo speaks volumes to us as followers of Christs Jesus. He is much like the apostle Peter.

You Have The Words Of Eternal Life

During the early ministry of Jesus, He was truly a superstar. People were following Him in droves. But in John chapter six, when He began speaking of deeper things – things which were hard to hear – such as:

John 6:53-56 (NASB)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Many of His disciples began to desert Him. “This is a difficult statement,” they said. “Who can listen to it?” Then Jesus said to the twelve – His inner circle – “You do no want to go away also, do you?” At this, Peter gave his great confession of faith:

John 6:68-69 (NASB)
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

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A Journey In The Dark

Peter had to choose, just as Sam had to choose. Peter chose to follow Jesus, the lamb that takes away the sin of the world; Sam chose to follow Frodo, the scapehobbit who takes away the burden of Middle-earth.

Sam, clinging to Frodo’s arm, collapsed on a step in the black darkness. ‘Poor old Bill!’ he said in a choking voice. ‘Poor old Bill! Wolves and snakes! But the snakes were too much for him. I had to choose, Mr. Frodo. I had to come with you.’

The Lord of the Rings: One Volume, p. 309

Additional Resources:

• The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, by Robert Foster
• Christianity in Lord of the Rings, by Peter Kreeft
• The Fellowship of the Ring Audiobook read by Rob Inglis
• The Lord of the Rings 1981 Radio Dramatization by BBC

What stood out to you in A Journey In The Dark Pt. 2? Let us know in the comments below.

On The Secret Fire Podcast we travel chapter-by-chapter and book-by-book through J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth viewing it through Christian lenses. We invite you to join us each week as we continue the adventure on the Arkenstone server in Lord Of The Rings Online.

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