“Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.” -C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew
These words are taken from one of the books in C.S. Lewis’ seven volume The Chronicles of Narnia, that tells the story of the creation of Narnia. Narnia is ruled by the great Lion, Aslan, who illustrates for us the person and work of Jesus Christ. Digory is a young boy who plays a prominent role in that book and who has a very sick Mother that he longs to see healed. He is awed and sobered by the power and might of the Lion’s claws but once he sees the eyes, especially the tears, of Aslan is even more moved by the Lion’s compassion and mercy.
Lewis gives us a great picture of the power and sovereignty of God that must always be joined with His mercy and compassion. That is the God we know and serve. Sometimes life shows us “the claws” of God. By that I mean we undergo trial and suffering. When those times come, we need to look into God’s face to see His eyes of compassion. We do that by looking into the gospel- the person and work of His Son who loved us and gave Himself for us.
If you are not being forced to “look at the claws” right now, pray for those who are. There are some in the HLPC church family who fit that category. Pray that God would remind them of His mercy and grace in Christ. Pray for opportunity to demonstrate God’s mercy in tangible ways. Pray that Psalm 29:11 is proven true in their circumstances: May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Lewis reminds us of a powerful truth that God cares more about us, our families, and our suffering than we do. Let us flee in faith to Him