Finding God in Narnia has been our topic series for the last few weeks.
Narnia...sounds like something a California teenager might say. “how was the surfing?” “it was narnia, dude!”
C.S.Lewis, the author of “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” was to many people the greatest Christian writer of the last century. He wrote many books on the Christian life and matters of the faith. Some of them are pretty deep. I remember reading “Mere Christianity” when I was in college some 20 years ago. Although a great argument for the truth of Christianity, and how full and rich it can be, I had to read just about every other paragraph about three times. His specialty was apologetics, an intellectual style of writing, but he also wanted people to understand from the heart’s perspective not just the mind. He thought that sometimes we can approach the Bible with so much reverence, that we become too distant from our personal relationship with God.
Don’t get me wrong...reverence is a good thing, but that shouldn’t be the only thing. Lewis said this: “Supposing that by casting all of these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained glass and Sunday school associations one could then, for the first time, appear in their potency? Could one not thus steal passed those watchful dragons?”
OK, so what does that mean? Don’t feel bad I had to look it up. Gene Vieth, in his book “The Soul of TLWW” translated that quote. He said that by presenting the Christian story in this way would get past the defenses of those who think they have heard it all before, or those that have become so familiar with the stories of the Bible that they just don’t notice any more how amazing they really are.
Last week, Marty introduced you to Mr. & Mrs. Beaver. Today, I am going to introduce you to Peter and Edmund, the Sons of Adam.
Sons of Adam, you hear it a lot in LWW, but what does it mean to be a Son of Adam? In Narnia it holds a place of status and wonder. In the home of the first creature we meet, Mr. Tumnus, the Faun, there is a book on the shelf entitled “A Study in Popular Legend: Is Man a Myth?” Every time one of the creatures of Narnia meet one of the children, they seem amazed at the existence of a human. But unlike us seeing the Lock Ness Monster or Big Foot, thinking we’ve lost touch with reality, these creatures hold humans in high regard. The animals know that it is the law of the land that only a human can be a king or queen of Narnia, even if the children didn’t. It was the wise Mr. Beaver that started to open the children’s eyes to how important they are. When they first met Aslan, the ruler, this big, imposing lion, they were a little bit apprehensive (to say the least): jockeying for the last position. “You first.” “ No, you first.” It was Mr. Beaver that told them, “No, Sons of Adam before animals.” They had prominence, or special place of status the kingdom of Narnia. We see that in parallel in the Bible.
In the book of Genesis, it says that God created Adam in His own image. Not only did God give him a job as the head gardener, but in Genesis 1:28 God gave Adam dominion over all of His creation.
Romans 8:15-17.
“And by him we cry, “Abba Father.” The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we also share in his glory.”
You see we have a special place too, a special place of status in God’s Kingdom.
Why is being a Son of Adam important or special? Only a human or Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve can rightfully be a queen or king in Narnia. Those are the rules. There is a prophesy that Mr. Beaver lets the children in on while staying in the safety of Mr. Beaver’s lodge, on the way to meet Aslan. He tells them a poem “When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits at Cair Paravel on throne, the evil time will be over and done.” Now it just so happens that there are four thrones in the castle Cair Paravel. There are now four humans in Narnia. Hmm? You see here a destiny in a way, a promise beginning to come true. For the children they have a role to play in the grand scheme of things. They aren’t just tourists on vacation. They play a part in the future of the kingdom.
Guess what? We get to play a part too, in the Kingdom of God. Again we can see a parallel in the Bible. 1st Peter 2:5 it says. “like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” And again in verse 9. “ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
That’s pretty cool, we are to be royal priesthood. Do you see the promise here? In all of this we see a glimpse of our destiny. God works through us as Aslan works through the children. God brings forth His Kingdom through us. A royal priesthood.
One of these “Sons of Adam” is Edmund. He is one of the “middle” children. You oldest and youngest know what I am saying here. Not that this story applies to any of you “middle” children out there of course!
In the story we see evidence of the fact that Edmund is...well, a brat. There is reference that at his boarding school he’s kind of a bully. And it doesn’t stop there but continues with the family. When Lucy came back from her first visit to Narnia, Edmund teased her about it. Now I realize that that is one of the main jobs of an older brother, I have three of them. But Edmund was pretty vicious about it. He took it to an art form.
As fate would have it he finds himself in Narnia. He has to admit that Lucy was right and he was wrong. Uh oh, can’t let that happen. When Lucy tells the older two that she has been there again and that Eddy was with her, what does he do? He betrays her. He denies it.
In another book, “The Screwtape Letters” CS Lewis makes a distinction between two kinds of sin...sins of the flesh and spiritual sins.
Those of the flesh (like addictions or theft) are sins for gain. A thief steals a stereo for money or takes drugs to feel a specific way.
Then there are the spiritual sins that are out of malice evil for evil sake: hatred, backstabbing. We are starting to get a picture of Edmund.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
When Edmund first visits Narnia he meets the evil-queen-witch-thing. When she finds out who he is, it wasn’t obvious she was evil. She wasn’t mean...she was nice. She wasn’t ugly...she was beautiful.
She cradles him in her coat, she gives him something warm to drink and some Turkish delight. Most people don’t wake up in the morning and say “Let’s do something evil today” Evil has a way of disguising itself and appearing attractive and good. Some times it equates love with sexual immorality. Just as with cruelty and justice and freedom with rebellion. We can get caught up into it real easy.
Let’s get back to this Turkish Delight. It’s kind of like a disgustingly sweet gum drop. But, this is no ordinary gumdrop, it is enchanted. It also represents the sins of the flesh. You eat it and you want more. If you could, you would eat it until you died. And if you don’t get it, you will crave it until it consumes all of your thought; the desiring of it.
Like addicts, not just drugs or alcohol, anything can be your Turkish Delight. Work, sex (can I say sex in church), sports. And the less obvious ones like pride and envy.
John 8:34 Jesus said “I tell you the truth, everyone that sins is a slave to sin.”
The Witch also appeals to the spiritual sins...to Edmund’s resentment and ego. “You can have all the Turkish Delight you want…I will make you a prince to rule after me, over your brother and sisters.” He’s hooked.
Then we begin the next step. Rationalization. Even though all the natives of Narnia know and tell the children that the evilqueenwitchthing is a bad egg, Edmund begins to defend her. “How do you know she’s the bad one, just because the faun said so?” “How do you know he is telling the truth?”
Sin had rooted deep enough in Edmund that the mention of the name Aslan conjures up a different emotion in him. Just like the name Jesus brings up emotions in our world. To a nonbeliever, it can be hate, anger. To a follower of Christ it can mean peace and joy. To Lucy, the name Aslan made her feel like the holidays or the first days of summer. To Susan, like the smell of something delicious to eat or beautiful music. But Edmund a stab of pain.
Peter on the other hand…
Peter felt brave. He was the oldest of the brood. And the first thing he did when meeting Aslan was to accept the responsibility of his actions. He confesses to Aslan that he was a little hard on Eddy and that could have been what made him go bad. Through that confession, Aslan is able to use Peter, and the gifts that Father Christmas had given Peter. The gift of a shield and sword.
Eph 6:16-17
“…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one….and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Peter asks…Are we are going into battle? Aslan is here, he’ll take care of it.” I’ve become a Christian, Jesus will take care of it, right? Can’t you just give me a bunch of cute, fuzzy things to keep me happy? Everything is honky dory.
We do battle every day…within ourselves and in the world. It may not be with something tangible all he time, like an addiction. It can be pride or other temptations. Jesus said we have to pick up our cross every day.
In 1st Timothy we read about fighting the good fight. Just because we become Christian doesn’t mean we don’t fight, that God takes us out of the ring, But He does give us the resources necessary to win those battles. Aslan takes Peter aside and tells him he is going into battle. He also lets him know that he will win and become a king. Again look at the Bible.
James 1: 12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him”
2 Timothy 4:8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day….”
Trials and battles are not bad things. You have to grind metal in order to make it sharp. Iron sharpens iron. Trials help us to grow spiritually.
So...Is Edmund a truly evil imp? Satan’s spawn? I don’t think so. I think he represents us. He represents the fact that all of us sin, we are all sinners. We’re slaves to sin. We can easily get caught up in it and then rationalize it. And then after we realize the true nature of evil, that it is not as comforting as it seemed, that is full of deception and lies that we can be saved. I can identify with Edmund, can’t you?
How about Peter? He represents us too. How we take hold of the gifts that God has given us to do battle within ourselves and in the world. How can we triumph and fulfill the destiny that God has for us?
So where are you? Are you a king of Narnia? If not, what is keeping you from the promises, the destiny that God holds for you. If you feel like you are more like Edmund, you can take the time today break free from the ties that bind you. You can start that new journey to know the Lord. If you feel more like Peter, but need encouragement for the battles you face, you can get it.
Let’s pray!
