Season 5 Podcast 154 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 47 Chapter 9 D “Job’s Horse.”

In last week’s episode from the country of Conceit, Christian and Hopeful discuss the plight of Little-Faith. Hopeful criticizes Little-Faith for not standing up to the three robbers. Christian defends Little-Faith and says that we all must face our fears. Christian and Hopeful continue their argument. Christian says,

“CHRIS. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when Great-Grace hath but appeared; and no marvel, for he is the King's champion. But I trow you will put some difference between Little-Faith and the King's champion? All the King's subjects are not His champions, nor can they when tried do such feats of war as he. Is it meet to think that a little child should handle Goliath as David did? or that there should be the strength of an ox in a wren? Some are strong, some are weak; some have great faith, some have little: this man was one of the weak, and therefore he went to the wall.”

Christian understands that we are not all champions. We cannot all be a bold as the Savior. Not all are like David facing Goliath. People have different gifts. The wren is not as strong as the ox, and not everyone has faith enough to stand up to the enemy.

Hopeful wanted Christ to come down and defeat the robbers.

“HOPE. I would it had been Great-Grace for their sakes.”

That raises an important theological question. Will Christ always appear to fight our battles? Many, during a crisis, have turned away from God because they felt that he did not care. I vividly remember a haunting image. A young man caught by the police had murdered an innocent little girl as she was crossing a field to her house. As the killer was being hauled away handcuffed, a reporter asked him if he were afraid of God’s wrath. The young man, without conscience, replied, laughing, “What has God ever done for me?” Heaven often seems silent. For example, why didn’t God protect the little child? Knowing the ways of God to man is one of the most difficult lessons we must learn on earth. Bunyan does not shy away from the paradoxes Christians face daily.

“CHRIS. If it had been he, he might have had his hands full; for I must tell you that though Great-Grace is excellent good at his weapons, and has, and can, so long as he keeps them at sword's point, do well enough with them; yet, if they get within him, even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his heels. And when a man is down, you know, what can he do?”

And that is the issue, isn’t it? What can Christ do to help Faint-heart and Mistrust because they “will throw up their heels.” In other words, they don’t even stay around for His help. They skedaddle. Can Christ help anyone against their will? Can we stand idly by while Christ fights our battles? What limitations do we put on Christ, and what does Christ expect of us? On the other hand, as Christian asks, “When a man is down, what can he do? Meaning, What can Christ do? All Christians face the same dilemma? Do we expect too much of God? Or too little? Or do we want Christ to do it our way and not his way. One of the great scriptures of the Bible is also one of the hardest to obey.

Proverbs 3:5-7

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

Christian continues.

“Whoso looks well upon Great-Grace's face will see those scars and cuts there, that shall easily give proof of what I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say (and that when he was in the combat), "We despaired even of life."