Part 12 – The Stately Palace: Counting the Cost
"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has
cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33 (ESV)
Having
shown Christian the fire that could not be extinguished, the Interpreter leads
him to yet another room, where a very different scene unfolds. Before him
stands a stately palace on a beautiful hill. It is a place of great splendour,
and everything about it invites admiration. Yet Bunyan immediately directs our
attention away from the palace itself and towards its entrance. Armed men stand
before the doorway, determined to prevent anyone from entering. Their swords
are drawn, and they appear ready to oppose all who attempt to pass.
Why would
Bunyan place such a scene before Christian?
As we have
already discovered, nothing in the Interpreter's House is accidental. Every
lesson has prepared Christian for the pilgrimage that still lies before him.
The portrait taught him to recognise a faithful servant of Christ. The dusty
room revealed the true purpose of God's Law. Passion and Patience contrasted
the passing pleasures of this world with the inheritance awaiting the believer.
The fire burning against the wall reminded him that the work of God's grace is
continually sustained by Christ Himself. Now Bunyan presents another lesson,
one that speaks to the cost of following Christ.
At first,
the picture appears almost discouraging. If the palace represents God's
blessings, why is its entrance guarded by armed men? Why is the way not open
and inviting? Bunyan could easily have described Christian entering without
resistance, yet he deliberately places conflict before blessing. That alone
should prompt us to pause and ask what he intends us to learn.
Christian
then notices a man seated at a table, a book before him. One after another,
those who wish to enter the palace approach the entrance, but as soon as they
see the armed men, they quietly withdraw. The danger seems greater than the
reward. Finally, one man of resolute spirit steps forward and says to the man
with the book,
"Set
down my name, sir."
Having
spoken these words, he draws his sword and presses forward. Though wounded many
times in the struggle, he refuses to turn back until he has passed through the
armed men and entered the palace. Immediately those within receive him with
great joy, clothe him in garments of gold, place a crown upon his head, and
welcome him into their company.
Why does
Bunyan describe the scene in this way?
The answer
lies in the teaching of our Lord. As great crowds gathered around Him, Jesus
never concealed the cost of discipleship. Rather than encouraging superficial
followers, He called men and women to count the cost before committing
themselves to Him.
"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has
cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33 (ESV)
These words
are often misunderstood. Jesus was not teaching that salvation is earned
through sacrifice or perseverance. Bunyan has already made it abundantly clear
that Christian entered through the Wicket Gate by God's appointed way, not by
his own merit. The palace is not teaching us how to be saved. It is teaching us
what it means to follow the One who saves.
The
Scriptures leave us in no doubt that the Christian life will be marked by
opposition. Paul reminded Timothy,
"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will
be persecuted." 2 Timothy
3:12 (ESV)
Similarly,
when Paul and Barnabas strengthened the churches, they reminded the disciples,
"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."
Acts 14:22
(ESV)
These
passages do not present suffering as unusual but as something to be expected.
Bunyan illustrates this truth by placing armed men at the palace entrance. They
are not there because Christ is unwilling to receive His people, but because
the world, the flesh and the devil continually oppose those who seek to follow
Him faithfully.
One detail
deserves particular attention. The man does not ask whether there is another
entrance. He does not seek an easier path, nor does he wait for the armed men
to leave their posts. Having committed himself, he presses forward despite the
wounds he receives. His confidence rests, not in his own strength, but in the
certainty that what awaits within the palace is worth every hardship endured
along the way.
Does this
not bring to mind the words of the Apostle Paul?
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Romans 8:18
(ESV)
Perhaps
this is why Bunyan places this lesson before Christian reaches the Cross. The
pilgrimage is not a promise of an easy road, but of a faithful Saviour. Before
Christian continues his journey, he must understand that opposition is not
evidence that he is on the wrong path. Rather, it often confirms that he is
walking the narrow way of which our Lord spoke.
As we
continue through the Interpreter's House, Bunyan prepares both Christian and
the reader for the realities that lie ahead. Each lesson strips away another
misunderstanding, each lesson directs us back to the Scriptures, and each
lesson points us once again to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Signing off
Tyrone
Scripture References: Luke 14:25 to 33; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12;
Romans 8:18; James 1:12.
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