Pilgrims' Progress
Pilgrims' Progress
About a month or so ago, I read Pilgrim's Progress again. What occurred to me during this most recent reading, more than with previous readings, was that this is not the same journey that we as a family are traveling. In truth, that is the very difference. We are on the pilgrimage from this world to that which is to come. We, with our children and all those in the faith before us, see yonder shining light. We journey not alone but with blessed covenant companions.
With the last couple of readings, I have concentrated on the second part. Christian's family enters here, but Christian has already stepped off the stage. Christiana leads her four sons in the memorial footsteps of their father. But even with the second part, this is not the story of a father and his responsibility to lead a household on the journey in the Christian faith.
Three things help me understand the Progress's individualistic bent. Bunyan, according to his own testimony, did not grow up in a Christian family. He was converted as an adult. Secondly, he was away from his family when he wrote the book, because he was in jail at the time. And lastly, Bunyan is known to have been a Baptist and, well, I can say it, Baptists are not particularly well known for their teaching of the covenants.
A grander pilgrimage of many years and generations lies before us. Just a few days ago, my eleven-month old son, Eoin, took his first steps. Each day since, he steps farther away from his former stomping ground, that floor space within a short, yet secure, arm's reach of any available piece of furniture. For now, he mostly follows me or his mother around the house. Just as I follow in the footsteps of my father, my son toddles in mine. His mother and I share the fervent hope and prayer that by God's grace he will walk farther and climb higher than we can imagine we ever will.
It is my hope and full expectation that our children should be more sanctified than ourselves. I am not alone on the pilgrimage and I am not alone in this prayer. A wiser man once called this "Progressive Familial Sanctification," the hope that every generation would be more righteous than the one that preceded it. Fathers in the faith long before us fearfully prayed that the sins of fathers would not fall on their children and children's children. We, too, need to pray and cast off the burdens of sins and iniquities so that they may not be passed on to our children.
Yet, we must also not become so confident that that confidence becomes complacency. Yes, we hope and pray that our children and grand children will go so much farther than will ever will. But, we must never sit down in the middle of the road on such a thought and prayer. We need to have as much faith that we are as much a part of Christ building His
kingdom as our children will be. If we do believe that our children will be more sanctified than their parents, we ought to expect that there is going to come a time when they arc going to come to certain convictions not held by ourselves. They will have burdens cast off that we did not. They will be more willing and able to stand against sin. They will more clearly see sin for what it is. We would do well to anticipate what those sins might be and cast them away instead of leaving them for those behind us.
Notice here the story is not one of a retiring generation spending their children's inheritance, but rather one walking along with them passing a rich, godly, heritage along to our Sons and daughters. We do this not simply by dragging them off to church, nor by making sure they memorize their catechism. We do this by literally walking with them, and truly talking with them. As we travel by the way, we pass on this heritage because it does not belong to just ourselves. It is not ours to spend away. It is a responsibility graciously and responsibly passed along. It is an inheritance that we belong to as much as it belongs to us. We honor our fathers and mothers as we faithfully teach our children to honor theirs.
There is fear in the leaving, walking farther and farther away from the world we know all too well, the City of Destruction . The road, at times, is dangerously rough. And it is dimly lit at times, too. Deep hollows lie on either sides of the way. We sometimes fear we are alone. Devils attack us. Charlatans give us ill directions. But we must press on, because our Elder Brother has gone on before us.
The burden of responsibility can get heavy along the way. When we lead our sons down rabbit trails, we bear the responsibility for the paths they continue. We need to let our families see us repent and take them with us on that road of repentance.
There is joy in the journey. It begins with our fellow travelers. There are those to whom we have the duty to lead on this pilgrimage. This duty becomes delight. We receive the good pleasure of seeing fellow travelers continue and conquer in the faith. We sing praises and high thanksgivings to joyful tunes. We feast in celebration. We see God's glory and hear His true Word. We give birth to victorious armies. We watch our sons grow up to be kmg's heroes. We know how the story ends. This is not a dream.
Continue on, young men, to tread on serpents. Cut down giants. Carry on the spiritual weapons of warfare. And tear down strongholds. Labor on in truth. Keep the faith. Walk in obedience. Take comfort in the Lord's promises. And teach your children to do the same. There is peace in the coming home.