Something Completely Different—Part 4

Yesterday, I was talking about my favorite C.S. Lewis book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and today I’d like to talk about something else I love about this book…its symbolism.

In this book, the Lion, Aslan, is the figure of Jesus Christ. We find from other of the Narnia novels that Aslan created Narnia from the breath of his mouth, and that he established rules that would hold for all eternity in the Narnian realm. As the White Witch had plunged Narnia into a curse where it was always winter, but never Christmas, there was only one thing that could break the curse…Aslan’s coming.

As the four children arrived in Narnia, the curse began to break and spring was coming to the land. The snow was melting and the trees were waking up. But Edmund, the brother who had issues with his honesty, had betrayed his sisters and brother to the White Witch, and as such, he was now her property, by the laws of Narnia. So Aslan, in an act of true love for the betrayer, Edmund, offers himself in his place.

As a result of that transaction, Aslan is killed by the witch at the stone table. He’s is killed and the girls, Susan and Lucy watch it happen. After all the evil horde leaves the site and Aslan lays dead on the stone table, the girls go up and weep over him. Mice come and, at first, the girls are horrified and try to keep them away from Aslan. But then they find that they are simply gnawing away at his restraints. Once the ropes had been removed, a great earthquake shakes the ground where the girls sit.

They spring up at once and the stone table cracks in two. When they get their wits about them, Susan and Lucy see that Aslan is gone. Terrified, they look about and a beam of sunlight pierces the darkness and they see him, Aslan, alive again and whole! He rejoices with them, but the quickly sets to work making Narnia as it was supposed to be. He seats Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy as Kings and Queens of Narnia and they rule there for years with love and goodness.

The reason I love this book so, is that it so clearly portrays who we are in Christ. We were Edmund; bitter, cold and calculating. We were the ones who had betrayed the family, who had given in to our selfishness and sin. We deserved to be handed over to enemy. But Jesus stepped in and took our places. He paid the punishment for sin that we could not, but He didn’t stay dead. Oh no! He rose! He is alive and He has seated us as His co-heirs in both this life and next. He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us. He has given us our spiritual gifts to help us accomplish the tasks that He has for us.

I guess that’s why I love this book so much. Because I see myself in it, and hope that you can, too. If you’ve never read the book, I would encourage you to do so, either to yourself, or to your kids or grandkids. You won’t be sorry you did, nor will they!

God bless you all and we’ll see you on Sunday!

Something Completely Different—Part 3

Earlier this week, I was thinking about C.S. Lewis and some of his works that have influenced my life in profound ways. Not the least of these works is his 7 volume children’s book series, entitled The Chronicles of Narnia in which children discover an alternate realm that mirrors Biblical truths. The first of these books (and my favorite, I might add) is called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

In this book, a young girl named Lucy stumbles upon Narnia from a magical wardrobe in the home of a professor they have gone to stay with during the Blitz in London in 1940. While there, she meets a fawn (half human, half goat) and befriends him. Going back to the professor’s house, she then tells her two brothers and one sister about the world she found. Not being able to find it themselves, they believe her to be lying.

Later on, however, youngest brother, Edmund stumbles into Narnia as well. While there he meets the White Witch who enchants him with sweets and gets him to promise her that he will bring his brother and two sisters to her when they get back. He then finds Lucy and they return to the professor’s house and Edmund plays as if he’s never been there, but only playing along with Lucy.

To figure this whole thing out, the oldest two children, Peter and Susan, decide to talk to the old professor, who asks them this question: “And your sister, she has a habit of lying?” to which they both reply, “No sir. In fact, quite the opposite. I would think that Ed would be the one to lie more that Lucy.”

The professor then replies, “If you believe your sister to be the more honest of the two, then why are you not believing her?”

“Because it can’t be true,” Susan answers. “I mean, magic, other worlds in the back of a wardrobe? It can’t be true!”

“If your sister is the one who is the most honest, that it must follow that she is the one telling the truth.” The professor’s reply here has much to say to us today. Allow me to reflect on two of them.

The first issue that I want to talk about is integrity. Integrity is the very thing that Edmund had lost and Lucy had gained. How? Simply by being honest in little things. The little things matter greatly in the minds of people when it comes to trust, integrity and believably. Even when the tale is, to our ears, “preposterous,” those with integrity will be believed.

The second is the issue trust. Those who are habitual liars are not to be trusted, but to be shunned. Those who cannot tell the truth are to be cast off, and not listened to. But those who are always faithful, honest, loyal and truthful ought to be followed, listened to and, yes, even obeyed.

There is one who speaks often to our hearts, souls and minds Who has never once lied to us. He is always telling the truth, because He is the Author of Truth. There is one who will never lead us in the wrong direction because He’s been there and knows the way we should be going. That Person is, of course, God Almighty.

So when God tells you something, or asks you to do something, don’t hem and haw…obey…now! He can be trusted, because He has never once lied to you or let you down…AND HE NEVER WILL!

We’ll see you on Sunday!