accusations and the power of God
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a well known beloved classic that has swept the hearts of readers for decades. It needs little introduction or praise, but, if you are one of the few who hasn’t read it, the synopsis is simple. Four children enter into a magical world discovering they were destined to join the fight against tyranny and reign in a time of peace and prosperity; Narnia is a place where these children discovered their true selves, battled a witch, and came face to face with God. More than that, it is C.S. Lewis’ allegory of the gospel narrative: one of the children is a traitor sentenced to die and is only spared by the sacrifice of the great lion.
Because C.S. Lewis was brilliant, the beauty is in the details. There is a simple sentence offered at a tense moment that deserves particular recognition. It occurs at a low point in one the characters life; Edmund, the traitor, after having been rescued from the captivity of the enemy and rejoined with his family, faces unrelenting defamation and public sentencing with his crime and shame laid bare before the world. The witch, Lewis’ satanic figure, stands as a pernicious accuser truthfully claiming a right to his blood. Justice must be served, and Edmund can offer no defense: he is guilty on all counts. And, yet, he does not hang his head in despair or shrivel in shame—he is one who has met the lion.
For the entirety of the malicious onslaught, we read that Edmund kept his eyes fixed on the lion. He does not turn his attention to the accuser, focus on the reaction of the crowd, or allow shame to speak into his soul. He kept his eyes focused on the lion, and the lion did the same.
Lewis reminds us that satan exists as the demonic accuser attempting to steal, kill, and destroy; but this is not the message we find when we gaze into the eyes of Christ. From that point forward, Edmund was different. He became known as wise and just with a proclivity to mercy. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe remains a must read through all stages of life even if only for this minute detail.
Lewis, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. London: HarperCollins, 1950.