Part 26: Vanity Fair
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15
As
Christian and Faithful continue their journey towards the Celestial City, they
come to a place called Vanity Fair. Bunyan describes it as a fair that operates
year-round, never closing its doors. It is called Vanity Fair because
everything bought and sold there, and everything that draws people to it, is
vanity. This is not simply a marketplace. It represents the world and all it
offers to those willing to make it their home.
Bunyan
takes us back almost five thousand years, explaining that the fair was
established by Beelzebub, Apollyon, Legion and their companions because the
road to the Celestial City passed through the town where the fair was held.
They saw an opportunity to tempt those travelling towards the heavenly
destination by placing everything the world could offer directly in their path.
And what a
marketplace it is. Houses, land, occupations, positions, honours, titles,
kingdoms, pleasures, silver, gold and precious stones are all for sale. But
Bunyan goes further, explaining that even men's bodies, souls and lives are
traded there. Nothing is beyond its reach, because its purpose is to draw
people away from the things of God and towards the things of this world.
Interestingly
enough, Solomon uses the same word, vanity, when reflecting on life and all
that man pursues under the sun. In Ecclesiastes 1:2 he writes, “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of
vanities! All is vanity.” Solomon examines wisdom, pleasure,
possessions, wealth, and the things people spend their lives pursuing. He
discovers that none of these things can provide lasting satisfaction or give
life its ultimate purpose. The Hebrew word translated as vanity conveys
something like a mist or vapour, something fleeting that cannot be held on to.
But Solomon does not leave us wondering about the purpose of life. He brings
his conclusion to this: “Fear God and keep his
commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
There is a
powerful connection here to Bunyan's Vanity Fair. The world offers us countless
things to pursue, promising satisfaction and fulfilment, yet Solomon reminds us
that these things cannot give us what only God can provide. Our purpose is not
found in what we acquire, but in knowing God and living in obedience to Him.
We are
reminded of the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness, when Satan showed
Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, offering them to Him in
exchange for worship. Jesus refused, answering, “You
shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matthew
4:10). The offer was there, but Christ knew exactly what was being offered and
refused to trade His obedience to the Father for the things of this world.
Christian
and Faithful now find themselves walking through this very fair. They are not
interested in what is being sold, nor do they wish to join the crowd. Bunyan
describes how different they appear to those around them. Their clothing,
speech and behaviour set them apart. They speak the language of Canaan, while
those around them speak the language of the world. They are recognised as
strangers, not because they are seeking trouble, but because they do not belong
there.
When the
people ask what they intend to buy, Christian and Faithful reply: “We buy the
truth.” It is a simple answer, yet it reveals where their priorities lie.
Proverbs 23:23 tells us, “Buy truth, and do not
sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” They have found
something far more valuable than anything Vanity Fair can offer, and they are
not prepared to trade it for the world’s temporary attractions.
The crowd
cannot understand them. Their refusal to participate is taken as an insult, and
their different way of speaking and behaving becomes a source of ridicule. The
situation soon turns hostile. They are mocked, questioned and accused of
disturbing the peace at the fair. Their explanation that they are pilgrims
travelling towards the heavenly Jerusalem does nothing to improve matters. In
the eyes of those around them, they are strange men who refuse to accept the
world's values.
Eventually,
the hostility turns violent. They are beaten, covered in dirt, and placed in a
cage, where they are left exposed to the crowd's contempt.
What
strikes me about this part of Bunyan's account is that Christian and Faithful
have not sought a fight. They have simply refused to surrender their beliefs.
Their destination has not changed, nor has their understanding of what is truly
valuable. They are passing through Vanity Fair, but they are not prepared to
become part of it.
It is worth
asking how easily we can become comfortable with what this world offers. We are
constantly bombarded with messages telling us what we deserve, what we should
own, what success looks like, and what will make us happy. There is nothing
inherently wrong with possessing things, but there is a very real danger when
those things begin to possess us. Christ reminds us that our treasure and our
hearts are connected, and that we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew
6:19-24).
Christian
and Faithful understood that their journey was about something far greater than
anything they could buy at Vanity Fair. They looked towards the Celestial City,
and their hope was in what God had promised through Christ. Their refusal to
compromise reminds us that following Jesus Christ may bring us into conflict
with the world's values, but that does not mean we should abandon the truth to
gain its approval.
Are we
prepared to hold fast to the truth when doing so costs us the approval of
others? And when the world places its attractions before us, do we remember
where we are going?
Bunyan's
account is about to take a more serious turn. Christian and Faithful will soon
be brought before the authorities, and their faith will be tested in ways
neither of them could have imagined.
Signing off
Tyrone
Scripture References: 1 John 2:15, Ecclesiastes 1:2, Ecclesiastes 12:13,
Matthew 4:8-10, Proverbs 23:23, Matthew 6:19-24
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