The Waters of Narnia -- FPC sermon excerpt
It starts with falling into water.
On Friday, the next film in the popular Chronicles of Narnia series will be released. Called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the story begins with two children, Lucy and Edmund, spending a holiday with their cousin Eustace, a sour and unfriendly little boy. Lucy and Edmund have been to Narnia before, but Eustace has not, and he mocks them for their belief in this magical land.
Suddenly, a painting of a ship on Lucy’s wall comes to life, and the three children are drawn into Narnia. They fall into the ocean, and are rescued by the sailing ship called the Dawn Treader.
You might say that the film begins with a splash.
Once safely on board, Lucy and Edmund are greeted by their old friend Caspian, who is now a king. He has embarked on a quest to find the Seven Lost Lords of Narnia, as he had earlier promised the lion Aslan. Traveling from island to island on the Dawn Treader, they run into dragons, dwarves, storms, slave-traders, and even mer-people. The three children are transformed by the experience — especially the nasty cousin Eustace.
If you are a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, you know that powerful things happen in this magical land. Author C.S. Lewis created the fantasy world to teach lessons about the Christian faith, and his divine lion Aslan is one of the best fictional representations of Jesus Christ. Although gentle and loving, Lewis says again and again that Aslan is “not a tame lion.”
The three children fall into the waters of Narnia, and go on to encounter Aslan, the Christ. It’s a spiritual adventure. Similar to the Gospel according to Matthew.
As the third chapter opens, John the Baptist appears in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (3:1-2). The kingdom might sound like a fantasy to some, as out-of-this-world as the land of Narnia. But John announces that it is very close, and he prepares people to enter it by baptizing them in the River Jordan (v. 6).
An outlandish figure, John is covered in clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he munches on locusts and wild honey (v. 4). He shouts that the “one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (v. 11). John is like the talking beavers in Narnia, who say that Aslan the lion is good but not tame.
That certainly describes Jesus, the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. Good, but not tame.
On Friday, the next film in the popular Chronicles of Narnia series will be released. Called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the story begins with two children, Lucy and Edmund, spending a holiday with their cousin Eustace, a sour and unfriendly little boy. Lucy and Edmund have been to Narnia before, but Eustace has not, and he mocks them for their belief in this magical land.
Suddenly, a painting of a ship on Lucy’s wall comes to life, and the three children are drawn into Narnia. They fall into the ocean, and are rescued by the sailing ship called the Dawn Treader.
You might say that the film begins with a splash.
Once safely on board, Lucy and Edmund are greeted by their old friend Caspian, who is now a king. He has embarked on a quest to find the Seven Lost Lords of Narnia, as he had earlier promised the lion Aslan. Traveling from island to island on the Dawn Treader, they run into dragons, dwarves, storms, slave-traders, and even mer-people. The three children are transformed by the experience — especially the nasty cousin Eustace.
If you are a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, you know that powerful things happen in this magical land. Author C.S. Lewis created the fantasy world to teach lessons about the Christian faith, and his divine lion Aslan is one of the best fictional representations of Jesus Christ. Although gentle and loving, Lewis says again and again that Aslan is “not a tame lion.”
The three children fall into the waters of Narnia, and go on to encounter Aslan, the Christ. It’s a spiritual adventure. Similar to the Gospel according to Matthew.
As the third chapter opens, John the Baptist appears in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (3:1-2). The kingdom might sound like a fantasy to some, as out-of-this-world as the land of Narnia. But John announces that it is very close, and he prepares people to enter it by baptizing them in the River Jordan (v. 6).
An outlandish figure, John is covered in clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he munches on locusts and wild honey (v. 4). He shouts that the “one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (v. 11). John is like the talking beavers in Narnia, who say that Aslan the lion is good but not tame.
That certainly describes Jesus, the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. Good, but not tame.
posted by Henry Brinton | 9:53 AM
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