Illustrated by Pauline Baynes
Here is the fourth entry of a series of blog posts where I share insights that stood out to me, specifically about Aslan, as I read through The Chronicles of Narnia this third time around. Here is a link leading to the entry before this one: https://www.wohnal.com/post/the-horse-and-his-boy-aslan-guides
Prince Caspian had profound themes that stood out to me, like trusting Aslan, a representation of Jesus the Christ as communicated to humanity in the Holy Bible, even when people you love end up walking by reason instead of by faith. Lucy tells her siblings that she's seen Aslan and feels that He wanted her to follow Him; they don't believe her and end up following a different path than what Lucy saw Aslan take. Lucy ends up seeing Aslan again, and this dialogue ensues
Aslan says to Lucy, "If you go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me — what will happen? There is only one way of finding out."
"Do you mean that is what you want me to do?" gasped Lucy. "Yes, little one," said Aslan.
"Will the others see you too?" asked Lucy.
"Certainly not at first," said Aslan. "Later on, it depends."
"But they won't believe me!" said Lucy.
"It doesn't matter," said Aslan.
"Oh dear, oh dear," said Lucy. "And I was so pleased at finding you again. And I thought you'd let me stay. And I thought you'd come roaring in and frighten all the enemies away — like last time. And now everything is going to be horrid."
"It is hard for you, little one," said Aslan. "But things never happen the same way twice. It has been hard for us all in Narnia before now."
Trusting Aslan when others don't, especially if it's your loved ones who don't have faith, is very hard but it is always best to trust Aslan.
Before Lucy goes back, this last paragraph shows another great theme:
"Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face. But there must have been magic in his mane. She could feel lion-strength going into her. Quite suddenly she sat up.
"I'm sorry, Aslan," she said. "I'm ready now."
Do you see the theme? While Lucy was resting in Aslan's bosom, she found the strength to do what she must. This theme of Aslan giving strength is seen again after Lucy goes to get Peter, Edmund, and Susan and they finally see Aslan after trusting Lucy. This paragraph follows:
"Then, after an awful pause, the deep voice said, “Susan.” Susan made no answer but the others thought she was crying. “You have listened to fears, child,” said Aslan. “Come, let me breathe on you. Forget them. Are you brave again?” “A little, Aslan,” said Susan."
Fears surrounded both Lucy and Susan and they both received strength from Aslan. This reminds me of the empowering strength of Jesus the Christ when He told the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 12:9,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Those are amazing themes about Aslan and i hope they encourage you. The one that stood out to me is found in the insert that follows. This short dialogue is my favorite one in the whole book of Prince Caspian. A long time has passed and Lucy sees Aslan again after entering into Narnia and this rich dialogue ensues:
“'Aslan,' said Lucy 'you're bigger.'
'That is because you are older, little one' answered he.
'Not because you are?'
'I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.'"
WOW. That last sentence just strikes me, here it is again with a few emphases and italics added:
'I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.'"
C. S. Lewis is a great writer and he communicates truths and insights about our world in powerfully vivid and potent ways. Here we find him communicating through the narrative of Prince Caspian this profound spiritual truth: We will find Jesus "bigger" every year we grow.
Yeah, did that just hit you as it did me?
The God of the universe doesn't get larger because He's omnipresent. The God of the universe doesn't get wiser because He's omniscient.
The God of the universe doesn't get stronger because He's omnipotent.
BUT
The God of the universe does get "bigger" in our own eyes because we are the ones growing in our understanding of Him!
Read that again.
The God of the universe does get "bigger" in our own eyes because we are the ones growing in our understanding of Him!
If you follow Jesus long enough, you will realize that He is more amazing, holy, good, kind, loving, powerful, and infinitely more the longer you fellowship with Him.
The infinite God will always seem to get bigger in the eyes of His finite children as they continue to "know Him and the power of His resurrection..." (Philippians 3:10)
Read the words of this powerful song written by Bill Gaither that reinforces the truth that Jesus' bigger:
"Since I started for the kingdom,
Since my life He controls;
Since I gave my heart to Jesus,
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows;
The more that I love Him more love He bestows.
Each day is like Heaven, my heart overflows.
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.
Every need He is supplying,
Plenteous grace He bestows.
Every day my way gets brighter,
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows;
The more that I love Him more love He bestows.
Each day is like Heaven, my heart overflows.
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.
Each day is like Heaven, my heart overflows.
The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows, the sweeter He grows."
Here it is being sung on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9KgYCQ_iY
Or in this case,
"The longer I serve Him, the "bigger He grows."
C. S. Lewis' Prince Caspian: the Return to Narnia is a great narrative that helps me see more clearly that Jesus the Christ gets "bigger" as we know Him more.
Sources:
Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963 author. Prince Caspian: the Return to Narnia. New York, N.Y. :Collier Books, 1970.
All Scripture taken from the ESV.
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