Readings for the Day:
Sermon:
Original Manuscript:
This is an interactive manuscript. To follow links, click the highlighted words below.
As many of you hopefully know, I have been providing thoughts and questions for C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, first book of The Chronicles of Narnia, almost right since the beginning of this Pandemic. If you go to gospelaccordingtosuperheroes.weebly.com, you can find almost everything about the book there.
To sum up the major plot, Digory, a boy from our world, is forced, by his uncle, to travel to other worlds, including Lewis’ famous land of Narnia. Along the way, Digory releases the White Witch, Jadis, into the newly created Narnia. Aslan, the Lion and creator of Narnia, sends Digory on a task as penance to fetch an apple that will be able to prevent Jadis from entering Narnia.
But when Digory gets to the place to find the apple, Jadis tries to tempt him. The apple, apparently, grants immortality to any who eat of it. Jadis first tempts Digory with the apple for himself. When that doesn’t work, she tempts him with giving it to his sick mother in order to heal her.
Digory has to look past his own wants and desires. He has to look past his own “ego” and stay on the task given to him by Aslan, which he does, in no small part because Jadis is nasty to his friends and he sees she does not have his best interests at heart.
When he goes back to Aslan and helps plant the seed that will keep Jadis away from this fledgling creation, Aslan gives Digory a new apple from this tree to save his mother.
You see, earlier when Digory told Aslan about his mother, Aslan shed a tear for her too. Aslan is not uncaring. God isn’t either.
What we see in the story of The Magician’s Nephew is an explanation of what we hear about at the beginning of Romans today. At the start of Romans 12, we get one of the most important and fundamental ways we are called to live as Christians. Paul tells us that we are called “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
We are called to give all of ourselves, our whole lives, to God to be used for God’s will in the world. We are called to put aside all else in order to follow the Lord. That is what Digory had to do for Aslan. It is what we are called to do as well.
We must remember that giving our lives to God doesn’t mean we will ultimately forsake those things that truly matter. When we mourn the loss or pain of others, or even ourselves, God is there with us mourning with us. God is there to offer what is needed too, it’s just that we don’t always know what it is that is truly needed, nor do we know when it is that God will offer that gift.
We can’t forget either that our journey in making our lives a living sacrifice to God will look different from the path of others. Digory’s path is not the same as his companions. It is not even the same as the others who follow the way of the Lion throughout The Chronicles of Narnia. As Paul tells us, we all have different gifts to offer. When you give your life to God, don’t worry about what others have to do, worry about what you have to do.
Digory was ultimately able to put aside his wants and needs in order to serve God in his story. Will you do the same on your spiritual journey?