The Pilgrim’s Progress – Chapter 3 (Part 2)

When we last looked in on Christian’s journey, we left him at the top of Hill Difficulty, facing two lions in a narrow passageway, in the dark.  The lions stood between him and House Beautiful, where he’d hoped to find lodging but instead, stood afraid and thought about going back, seeing nothing but death ahead of him.

Just then the porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, seeing that Christian had stopped his progress as if he would go back, cried out to him, asking, “Is your strength so small? Don’t fear the lions, for they are chained and are placed there to test your faith and to discover those who have none.  Keep in the middle of the path, and no harm shall come to you.”

Scripture: Mark 8:34-37

Christian goes forward, trembling for the fear of the lions, but carefully following the directions of the porter.  He heard them roar, but they did him no harm.

Christian: Sir, whose house is this? And may I lodge here tonight?

Watchful: This house was built by the Lord of the hill. He built it for the relief and security of pilgrims.

After answering Christian, the porter also asked him where he was from and where he was going. Then, he asked him his name.

Christian: My name is now Christian, but my name used to be Graceless.  I came of the race of Japheth, who God will persuade to dwell in the tents of Shem.

Watchful: But why is it that you come so late? The sun has indeed set.

And Christian must retell the story of his own stumbling: sleeping too long in the Arbor, losing his scroll, and having to lose the daylight in order to return and retrieve the scroll.

Watchful: Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place who will, if she approves of your testimony, bring you in to the rest of the family, according to the rules of the house.

After ringing a bell, a beautiful maiden came out of the door of the house. Her name was Discretion, and she immediately asked why she had been called.

Watchful: This man is on a journey from the City of Destruction to Mount Zion but being weary and with night coming on he has asked me if he might lodge here tonight.  I told him I would call for you, who, after having a conversation with him, may do what seems best to you, even according to the law of the house.

Discretion, too, asked Christian where he was from and where he was going and also how he got into the way.  She asked him what he had seen and met with while in the way.

Christian: My name is Christian, and I have a very strong desire to lodge here tonight because from what I perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief and security of pilgrims.

Discretion: (She is smiling and moved to tears.) I will call for two or three more of the family.

She ran to the door and called out for Prudence, Piety, and Charity, who after a little more conversation with him invited him to meet the family.  Many of them met him at the threshold of the house. “Come in” they said, “you are blessed of the Lord. This house was built by the Lord of the hill for the purpose of showing hospitality to pilgrims such as yourself.”

He bowed his head and followed them into the house.

Scripture: Genesis 9:27

Thoughts to Consider: It is interesting to see that the uncompromising attitude that Christian displayed when questioning others that he met on his journey is the exact reception he receives as an outsider to House Beautiful.  The standard is clearly not ‘perfection’. Christian is welcomed into the house after the retelling of his journey including the ugly, hard to admit parts. The standard appears to be more of a measurement of Christian’s character – integrity, humility, obedience to the Lord’s will.

I wonder about this section.  Is this what the author thought should be the reflection of a church – the house that Jesus built? (Matthew 16:18) … to show hospitality to pilgrims such as yourself?  (But NOT, apparently, to Foolish, Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, Hypocrisy, Timorous, or Mistrust.)  And probably not to Graceless, but thankfully, we are not tied to what we once were. We can have a new name, like Christian. 

---

The family passes the time profitably with interesting discussions. Finally, they asked Piety and Prudence and Charity to converse with him.  Piety will discuss all the details of his journey, including the motivation to begin this commitment and all the insights he gathered at the Interpreter’s house. 

Prudence will then ask about his thoughts of the home he has left.

Prudence: Do you not still carry some of the baggage from the place you escaped?

Christian: Yes, but against my will… if I could master my own heart, I would choose never to think of those things again, but when I try only to think about those things that are best, those things that are the worst creep back into my mind and behavior.

Prudence: Don’t you find that sometimes you can defeat those evil things that at other times seem to defeat you?

Christian: Yes, it happens occasionally. They are golden hours that I treasure.

Prudence: Can you remember the means by which you’re able occasionally to defeat the evil desires and thoughts that assail you?

Christian: Yes. When I think about what I experienced at the cross, that will do it… When I read the scroll… when my thoughts turn to the place to which I am going, that will do it.

Charity: Do you have a family? Are you a married man?

(Uh, oh. Let the squirming begin. I could play the role of Prudence, but Charity’s focus cuts too deep to dismiss. For me this is a ‘wrestle with God’ moment… a beg and plea… I’m not letting go until you bless me!!!)

Christian: I have a wife and four small children.

After the details of the heartache he endured trying to convince his family to journey with him, Christian admits, “My wife was afraid of losing this world, and my children were swayed by the foolish delights of youth…they left me to make this pilgrimage on my own.”

Charity: Couldn’t you convince them how foolish it was to stay and how much better it would be for them to come along with you?

Christian: Yes, although I cannot commend my life, for I am conscious of my many failings.  I know that a man by the witness of his life may overturn any persuasive arguments he may make.  Yet I can say that I was very careful not to give them any occasion for offense by my own actions.  I did nothing to give them cause for not coming on this pilgrimage… And it was for this very thing that they found fault with me!  They complained that I was too precise and that I denied myself things, for their sakes, in which they saw no evil… I think I can say that what they saw in me that hindered them was my great concern that I not sin against God or do any wrong to my neighbor.

Charity: Indeed Cain hated his brother ‘because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.’ And if your family has been offended with you for this, they show themselves to be implacable to good, and ‘you will have delivered your soul’ from their blood.

(Small consolation when my heart is torn to pieces.. yet I hear him, ‘Trust me, I see you. I see them. I love you, I love them… and I’m God, remember Isaiah 55:8-9?)

Christian and the family then sat talking together until supper was ready. The table was furnished with savory foods and with wine that was well refined and all their conversation at the table was about the Lord of the hill.

Scripture: Hebrews 11:15-16   Romans 7:16-19   Isaiah 25:8   Revelation 21:4   Genesis 19:14   1 John 3:12   Ezekiel 3:19   Hebrews 2:14-15   1 Samuel 2:8   Psalm 113-7

Thoughts to Consider:  Maybe a quick vocabulary review is in order.  DISCRETION – the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation. PIETY – reverence for God. PRUDENCE – the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. CHARITY – the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of one’s fellow man.

The discussion between Charity and Christian is a heartbreaker precisely because the thought that ‘LOVE is an emotion’ conflicts brutally with the thought that ‘LOVE = intentional choice to submit to God’s Will for the benefit of others’. We must love God first and submit to Him totally to be of any help to anyone else…including the friends and family that we have been blessed with. 

I think I would enjoy House Beautiful.  I think I would like to sit in fellowship and have those conversations about the Lord of the hill that lasted late into the evening.

I also enjoy knowing that there is a Part 2 to this story, depicting the journey of Christian’s wife and children. 💖

---

The next morning, Christian is told to stay and see some of the treasures of the house.  He gets to see the records of the greatest antiquities; including, first, the pedigree of the Lord of the hill – that He was the son of the Ancient of Days and became that by eternal generation. (Yay, Genealogies – because people matter!) Then historical records and service records and witness accounts where it was declared how willing their Lord was to receive anyone into His favor; even those who in time past has offered great affronts to His person and proceedings.  Here also were several other histories of many other famous things that Christian was able to read. Things both ancient and modern together with prophecies and predictions of things that have already occurred or soon will come to pass. Predictions and prophecies full of dread and amazement to our enemies, and comfort and solace for pilgrims.

The next day they took Christian to the armory, where they showed him all manner of furniture that their Lord had provided for pilgrims.  There were swords, shields, helmets breastplates, ALL-PRAYER, and shoes that would not wear out.  There was enough to dress out as many men for the service of their Lord as there were stars in the heavens.

They also showed him the instruments with which some of His servants had done wonderful things.  Including: Moses’ rod; the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps, too, with which Gideon put to fight the armies of Midian. He saw the ox’s goad used by Shamgar to slay six hundred men, the jawbone with which Samson did such mighty feats.  He saw the sling and stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath, and the sword also with which their Lord in the final days will kill the Man of Sin.

He stayed another day, waiting for clearer weather, so they could show him the Delectable Mountains.  This would further encourage and comfort him since those mountains were nearer to his final destination than where he was now.  We he woke the next day, they took him to the top of the house where he saw some distance away a most pleasant mountainous country, beautified with woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers, springs, and fountains, very delectable to behold.

He was told the name of the country was Immanuel’s Land and “like this hill it is for all the pilgrims.  And when you go there, with the assistance of the shepherds who live there, you may see the gates of the Celestial City.”

They all agreed it was time for Christian to go forward, after a trip to the armory where they covered him from head to foot with the armor to protect him should he be assaulted along the way.  When he arrived at the gate, he asked the porter if any other pilgrims had passed by and was told that another pilgrim named, Faithful, was probably at the bottom of the hill by now. His new friends accompanied Christian to the hill.

Christian: It appears that going down the hill is going to be as difficult and dangerous as it was climbing up the hill.

Prudence: Yes, it is a hard thing for a man to go down into the Valley of Humiliation, which is where you are headed. It is difficult to go down the hill without slipping and falling, which is why we are going to accompany you down the hill.

So, he began to go down, very carefully; and even with all his caution and assistance he almost slipped a time or two. When they all arrived at the bottom of the hill, they gave Christian a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a cluster of raisins. Then Christian went on his way.

Scripture: Hebrews 11:33-34   Ephesians 6:10-18   Isaiah 33:16-17

Final Thoughts: How nice that Christian could stay three more days in the support and encouragement of those at House Beautiful. And, if this is supposed to represent a church, I wonder how many of us pilgrims find a ‘House Beautiful’ that holds us to a standard, shows us the records of great antiquity, provides us with the necessary armor we need, and reminds us of the beauty that awaits in the Celestial City. Do they encourage and support us as we enter the Valley of Humiliation?

I have another thought to wrestle with now. 😳 Is a church supposed to be that building that we go to each week and hear, ‘Welcome, enjoy the service.’ when we arrive and ‘See you next week.’ when we leave? This house seems to have a core staff group to encourage the pilgrims that arrive… the pilgrims stay for a while… then move on. The staff at this house would be disappointed to see Christian next week, I think!