“Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion–the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he–quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
C.S. Lewis, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”
Mr. Beaver is describing Aslan, the Jesus character of the world of Narnia and the description is intriguing. Aslan is the great lion – not a tame house cat or a beloved stuffed animal. Aslan is wild, free, dangerous, and fearsome. He has enemies and, in the story, they are right to cower at his roar.
Can we make the transition to Jesus? Do we prefer a smiling, happy Jesus that wouldn’t hurt a fly? Do we imagine Jesus as a kindly teacher who strolled around making people feel good? Does the Lion of Judah have any teeth?
Notice this moment from the gospel of Mark:
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Mark 3:1-6, ESV
Here was a man unable to work because of a disability. The Pharisees knew Jesus could heal miraculously but instead of urging Jesus to use God’s power for this man’s good, they watched to see if he would work on the Sabbath.
Their attitude angers Jesus. Their callousness grieves his heart. He looked around him with the visage of a lion. He could have commanded the ground to open up and swallow them. He could have called a legion of angels. But though he is not safe… he is good.
He heals the man and adds to his list of outraged enemies. In the face of this lion, the Pharisees storm out to find the thugs that could help them destroy him.
To be in the presence of Jesus was seldom comfortable, but it was always good. His questions pierced to the heart. His answers declared authority. He spoke the hard truths that called… and still call… his hearers to God’s way. Don’t imagine Jesus into a safe, tame cage. Let His wild goodness cause your knees to knock as it stirs your soul.