In the beginningā¦ Ā you can learn so much when you take a step out of where youāre at and sayā¦ ālet me go back to the beginning.āĀ I know I find great benefit, mostly humility, to go back and listen to that conversation between Eve and the snake in the garden.Ā Even more humility, but also encouragement, can be found when Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.
The beginning of this chapter shows a similar wilderness/temptation experience for Christian.
The Pilgrimās Progress ā Chapter 2 (Part 1)
We first learn the fate of Pliable after his return to the City of Destruction.Ā Some neighbors called him wise for returning, others called him a fool for ever going, and some called him a coward for beginning but giving up.Ā He hides for awhile but then regains his confidence and finds his comfort in joining others to make fun of Christian.
We then cut to the scene where we see Christian continuing his walk, by himself, when he is approached by Worldly Wiseman from Carnal Policy wanting to discuss Christianās plan to remove the awful burden that he is carrying.Ā When Christian reveals his plan to seek the way to the small sheepgate as Evangelist directed; Worldly Wiseman offers his own counsel to remove the burden.Ā Christian knows that he needs good counsel and agrees to hear him out.Ā Cleverly worded responses from Worldly Wiseman twists the words that Christian already knows but are rephrased with a sense of urgency and immediate action that sow seeds of doubt.
Worldly Wiseman (WW): Do you have a wife and children?
Christian (C): Yes, but Iām so oppressed by this burden that I cannot take pleasure in my family as I used to. I now feel as if I am a man who has no family.
WW: I advise you to quickly get rid of your burden, for you will never be settled in your mind until then, nor will you enjoy the benefits of the blessings that God has given you.Ā
(Christian, of course, agrees with this.Ā In fact, he confirms that, that is his plan, but he knows he canāt do it himself and that is why he was headed to the small gate.)
WW: Who told you that?
C: Evangelist.
WW:Ā Shame on him for such counsel!Ā There is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the world than the way he has directed you.Ā Look at the difficulty youāve had alreadyā¦ You will only have sorrows and troublesā¦ Hear what I say since Iām olderā¦ if you go that way your journey will be attended by weariness, pain, sword, lionsā¦ death!Ā The truth has been confirmed by many testimonies.Ā Why should a man cast himself into such perilā¦?
C: Why, sir?Ā This burden upon my back is more terrible to me than all the things that you have mentioned.
WW: How did you come to bear this burden in the first place?
C: By reading this book.
WW: I thought soā¦ what has happened to you has also happened to other weak men who meddle with things too high for themā¦ you have lost your proper focus on life, and the distractions that now command your attention will cause you to do desperate things in order to obtain something you do not even understand.
WW: Listen to me and instead of dangers, you will meet with much safety, friendship, and contentment. You will find the relief you seek in a nearby village, Morality.Ā In this village is a skilled man, Legality, who can help rid men of their burdens.
WW: My advice is to go to him immediately ā if he is not home, you will be helped by his son, Civility.Ā Follow my instructionsā¦ rest assured, if you decide not to go back to the City of Destruction, you can send for your wife and kids to live with you in Morality ā there are many empty houses there.
Christian concludes, that if what he heard from Worldly Wiseman was true, then his wisest course was to take his advice.Ā So, Christian left The Way to go to Mr. Legalityās house for help.
Thoughts for Consideration
The fate of Pliable should teach us one thing: If youāve ever aspired to being a people-pleaser, forget it!
And then there was Christian, minding his own business, trying to be obedient, and seeking the way to the narrow gateā¦ all by himself, not bothering anybody. And yet, it is the Worldly Wiseman that seeks him out to try to derail him. The conversationā¦ word choicesā¦ toneā¦ everything that Worldly Wiseman speaks are cleverly crafted words of lies or partial and twisted truths.
Christian is assaulted and manages to hold his own for a little while. Then this clever stranger starts to attack the motives of the Evangelist, who after all is just another stranger. But still Christian is firm. Then the burden, brought on by the book itself, is attacked. (Did God really say?) Christian is attacked again on his ignorance, competence, intelligence, and motivation.
This last part of the conversation is just too sad.Ā (Until you remember the faithfulness of God š)