Saturday, April 21, 2007

Eustace the Dragon Meets Aslan

One of my favorite passages from C.S. Lewis' book, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" has been weighing on my mind these last couple of days. To give you some background to the passage Eustace is the character that you love to hate, he's selfish, greedy, whiney, spoiled and complains constantly. He ends up in Narnia with his cousins Lucy and Edmund, who have been to Narnia before, and is taken aboard a ship with Prince Caspian, who is searching for seven (I believe) lost knights. The ship stops at several islands, one of which Eustace gets himself into a pickle. He wanders away from the crew and happens upon a cave, where he witnesses the death of a dragon. When he is sure the dragon is dead, he enters the cave and discovers that it is one huge treasure chest. Eustace begins loading his pockets with the treasure. You hear his thoughts as he does so, and he is trying to figure out how to get the treasure on board the ship without anyone else finding out about it, for he has no desire to share the wealth. He ends up falling asleep on the treasure only to wake up and find that he has turned into a dragon himself. He is miserable and lonely. He finally succeed in communicating to his ship-mates what had happened to him, and he realizes he is stuck forever in this predicament.

It is here that Aslan enters the picture and Eustace realizes that Aslan wants him to follow him. They end up at a bubbling well with marble steps going down into it.

"The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. but the lion told me I must undress first. Mind you, I dont know if he said any words out loud or not.

I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and , instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I jsut stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.

But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.

Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.

The the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke - 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.

The very first tear he made was do deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.

Well, he peele the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was Ias smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phoney if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.

After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me - (with his paws?) - Well, I don't exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes - the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. and then suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a dream."

Eustace ends up a changed person outside and in. He is made new - though he struggles to live out this new life, his desires, his heart has completely changed.

I love this picture of redemption. We in our sin are like Eustace - we are selfish creatures playing "lord of the ring". We try in vain to "be good" - scratching and scratching away at the dragon scales, only to find another dragon skin underneath every time. It is only Christ that can dig deep enough - to the very heart and make us a completely new creation. It hurts because he has to dig deeper than we like. He has to put his claws beyond the tender parts of our flesh and into our heart. And then he washes us and clothes us anew with righteousness, holiness and purity. We still struggle to live out this new life, but our heart's desires have changed. He "gives us the desires of our heart". This is good stuff!

13 comments:

ecclesia said...

Here is the question I've been struggling with for a long time. How do we let Christ do it in us? Do we just sit there and do nothing at all? Do we just pray? Do we just try our best to do the right thing? I know what I want to be, I know what I'm supposed to do, I know how I'm supposed to act, yet always find myself failing. I also know that I can't do this on my own strength. But what am I missing. I pray as much as I can. I've even been reading the Bible more regularly. Hmmmm...

Kez said...

The answer I would give is - it is already done. Now we just live like the new creation we already are. Jesus' last words on the cross were, "It is finished." What do you think He was talking about. He did for us what the first Adam couldn't. I think that the answer to your question lies in "being" not "doing". If you are focused on a works oriented answer, you are living out a works oriented life. You will never be able to do that. Did praying or reading your Bible save you? No. Please do not get me wrong, I am not saying don't pray or read your Bible. But perhaps you are doing these things in the hope that they will somehow be the magic formula that will make you more saved and give you a higher purpose. Suppose that it really is finished, the work is done and you don't need to do anything at all for Jesus. Maybe you're already living it out by setting aside selfishness and material "security" by being a mom and a wife and a friend.

Captain Caveman said...

I have to say, Eustace made me want to puke...at first. However it seems as though he did try and turn the ship around so to speak. No pun intended. Anyway, when will you be making the next post? I look forward to new insights.

Sincerely,

Captain CaaaaaaaaveMaaaaaaaaaaan

Sterling and Bren Larsen said...

I love this analogy. This morning I was reading in The Book of Mormon and came across a verse that reminded me of something I had read once in a CS Lewis book so I googled it and came across your blog. Sometimes it is painful to acknowledge that we have sins that can't be taken away by ourselves. It is only Christ that can truly make us clean. Really clean. Through Him we can become new creatures. The verses I read this morning were: "Marvel not that all mankind much be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God becoming his sons and daughters. And thus they become new creatures." The repentant man in The Book of Mormon goes on to say, "My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more." What a beautiful thing! Thanks for your post.

Sterling and Bren Larsen said...

I love this analogy. This morning I was reading in The Book of Mormon and came across a verse that reminded me of something I had read once in a CS Lewis book so I googled it and came across your blog. Sometimes it is painful to acknowledge that we have sins that can't be taken away by ourselves. It is only Christ that can truly make us clean. Really clean. Through Him we can become new creatures. The verses I read this morning were: "Marvel not that all mankind much be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God becoming his sons and daughters. And thus they become new creatures." The repentant man in The Book of Mormon goes on to say, "My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more." What a beautiful thing! Thanks for your post.

PineappleRain said...

I've written a post on the same topic on my blog! This is one of my favorite parts of the Narnia stories. Here's the link if you want to read it. It's broken up into 3 parts because I wanted to discuss it more in depth. http://worldsthewoodworlds.blogspot.com/2011/11/eustaces-un-dragoning-part-1-being.html

Unknown said...

I just did a search trying to recollect this story of Eustace and Aslan. Then I saw the name of your blog... kez kezzie.

my mouth dropped. that's my nick name(s) ever since I was born and thought it was crazy that someone else used those names. And it was cool that you are a follower of Jesus.

Blessings!

Bryan Deitrich said...

Thank you for posting this!

I was just thinking of this quote and wanted to encourage a friend with it who is going through a VERY significant trial right now as the result of sin, and feeling the pain of God tearing through what has remained for years. This was the exact segment of the book I wanted him to read and the beginning background and comments at the end were perfect.

Amazing that God had my friend in mind even 5 years ago as you typed out that post. God works ALL things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. Thank you for being a part of that good today. : )

Bryan

Unknown said...

Someone I know shared this same story in a Sunday school lesson about a year ago and I am glad I was able to find it again through your blog. I remember the scripture he shared - John 8:32 - the truth will make you free! I thought of this after reading:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/meme-monson-what-he-can-1311885?category=by-event/october-2014-general-conference&lang=eng&cid=HPMO100614468

The quote comes from a talk that was just given last week in a world wide conference. It's worth a read. Here is the link to the talk:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng

Thank you for your post!

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