The Lion's Kiss

“‘But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?’ Up till then [Digory] 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.

‘My son, my son,’ said Aslan. ‘I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. But I have to think of the hundreds of years in the life of Narnia. The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again. But it need not be yet. It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years. So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds come over the sun. You must get me the seed from which that tree is to grow.’

‘Yes sir,’ said Digory. He didn't know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it. The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion's kiss. And at once, Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.

‘Dear son,’ said Aslan, ‘I will tell you what you must do…’”

C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew.

What a beautiful scene. What hasn’t left my mind - what rings in my heart - is the Lion’s kiss.

Can you imagine that? What would it be like to receive the Lion’s kiss? Both frightening and wonderful.

Here is Digory’s perspective:

“[Digory] found himself face to face with Aslan. And Aslan was bigger and more beautiful and more brightly golden and more terrible than he had thought. He dared not look into the great eyes.”

Aslan, the Lion, is always my favorite part about the Narnia series. I get excited when he steps onto the scene. He is both wild and gentle. Frightening in a holy, reverent way. Majestic. In this book, we learn that Aslan sings Narnia, his creation into existence! Does that remind you of Someone?

Aslan is an allegory (a hidden meaning or symbol) for God, which is why I get so excited when he shows up - when he moves. I just get giddy about the Presence of God. Jesus, the Son of God, is called the Lion of Judah!

So, the scene is that Digory approaches Aslan with desperation. How does Aslan respond?

There are many lessons we can learn about God and His character just by seeing the parallels of Him and Aslan.*

He cries, too.

‘"But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?’"

Digory is fearful. Desperate. He knows his mother is sick and that she does not have much time to live. In the previous chapter, he is humbled by the Lion since he was the one that caused the Witch (evil) to enter Narnia. He pleads with Aslan for help. Digory goes from looking down at his paws and finally looks up at Aslan. And, behold, the Lion has tears in his eyes.

Aslan, too, is crying.

I am utterly reminded of the shortest verse in the Bible:

“Jesus wept.”

Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, is found weeping at the feet of Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been there, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus weeps with us. In our grief. In our sorrow. In our brokenness. In our pain. In our loneliness. In our rejection. He weeps with us.

“You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.”

David writes this about God in Psalm 56.

Every tear. Every sorrow. The great weight of grief that Aslan talks about. God sees it all. He is with you in it all.

What moved Jesus to tears? What death brings for those He loves. A deep anger rose up within Jesus. It pains Him when those He loves are in pain. He hurts with us because He loves us.

He clarifies and comforts.

“‘My son, my son,’ said Aslan. ‘I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. But I have to think of the hundreds of years in the life of Narnia. The Witch whom you have brought into this world will come back to Narnia again. But it need not be yet. It is my wish to plant in Narnia a tree that she will not dare to approach, and that tree will protect Narnia from her for many years. So this land shall have a long, bright morning before any clouds come over the sun.”

Aslan cries with Digory and addresses his pain. He empathizes with him. But he doesn’t stop there. He brings clarity to the circumstance at hand. And, the reality is that Digory is the cause. He struck the bell that brought the Witch to life from being stone. But Aslan comforts Digory that Narnia will be alright and have a long, bright morning before the clouds come - before the Witch returns. The Great Lion both clarifies and comforts Digory in the middle of his grief.

Something I think is important to note is that, similarly, God does not avoid truth. He is Truth. And God doesn’t avoid truth in the midst of comfort either. Truth is comforting. You need both. The book of Proverbs says that a slap from a friend is better than a kiss from an enemy. (Proverbs 27:6)

God is not our enemy. Rather, the Bible tells us that our real enemy is Satan, the devil, the thief. The accuser of the brethren. The one who condemns us. God is our Advocate, Satan is the adversary. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Isn’t it interesting that the enemy acts as though he is a lion? Yet, he is not the real Lion. He will never be the Lion of Judah.

When we are enemies of God or walk in pride, that is when God ‘opposes’ us, or stiff-arms us. But it is when we are humble that He gives us grace. That He embraces us. Empathizes with us. Fights for us. Makes us whole.

Sometimes, the truth hurts. I can speak from experience. I don’t like things that aren’t warm and fuzzy. But, the truth is necessary. Just because God speaks truth does not mean that He is against you. He will clarify with truth and comfort with kindness. He will always be a God of Truth and Justice. He is 100% just. 100% kind. 100% love. 100% true. That is Who God is! (Exodus 34:6-7)

He kisses.

“The Lion drew a deep breath, stooped its head even lower and gave him a Lion's kiss. And at once, Digory felt that new strength and courage had gone into him.”

To receive a kiss from the Lion, you must be in the Presence of the Lion.

A kiss is intimate and a sign of deep love. You must be very close - not just emotionally, but physically. In order to receive a kiss it means you have to be in very close proximity. It’s not just being in the room - it is the nearness.

Here is a beautiful story in Scripture about extravagant love.

“When a certain immoral woman from that city heard [Jesus] was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.” Luke 7:37-38

The woman demonstrated her deep love for Jesus with her tears, with her gift, with her kisses. It was worship. Oh, to worship and express our hearts before the LORD like this!

In the Lion’s kiss, I see deep love expressed, too. C.S. Lewis did not have to mention this but he was thorough and specific - I believe it was intentional: Aslan took a deep breath and stooped even lower.

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

Breathing into someone’s nostrils is something that can’t happen from far away! You must be close.

Aslan stooped even lower. Philippians 2:5-8 depicts the greatest, most extravagant love demonstrated for us.

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

I don’t have a specific Scripture verse about a kiss from Jesus; but I do know that Christ loves His Bride! He adores His Bride, the Church. And Jesus stooped the lowest. What love is greater than to give of Yourself, to humbly lay down Your life. That is love. Love is sacrifice.

In the Lion’s kiss, we see a drawing near (intimacy) and a drawing lower (humility). His gift of new life and hope. That is love! There is even an impartation of new strength and courage for Digory. And, when you go onto the next book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, you will see that there is a great sacrifice demonstrated by Aslan.

I read that snippet of the Lion’s kiss and paused.

Can I have a Lion’s kiss, too? I think deep down we are all longing for that touch of Heaven from God. We long to have that fresh wind of courage and hope and strength! That reminder that we are not alone, not abandoned, that we know He is there and we are safe in His love.

Let me remind you of this today: We can all draw near to Him and be in the Presence of God. With a humble heart, God came to us and rescued us; so it is only with a humble heart that we can come to Him. He will not withhold Himself from the humble.

God loves us and we don’t have to love Him back - it is a choice; but, it is a beautiful exchange when we do.

He calls.

‘"Dear son,’ said Aslan, ‘I will tell you what you must do…’”

Aslan gives a specific assignment to Digory. He gives Him direction and a path forward. He even gives him the resource to get there - a horse! (Well, a horse that becomes a pegasus… but ‘resource’ and ‘horse’ rhymed!)

God has a plan for you! He has your assignment! We receive that assignment when we spend time with Him. Our purpose is first and foremost to be His son or His daughter. When we spend time in the Presence of God, when we express our love to Him, when we receive ‘the Lion’s kiss’ from God, He makes clear to us our purpose. God has designed us with a purpose - a hope and a future! God has a specific calling on your life! Let Him speak it to you - a great time to hear it is in your quiet time when you are close to His heartbeat and hear His still small voice. He will guide you. It may not be easy, but He will provide you the resources to get there! He has equipped with your special gifts and talents, and He will never leave you. He will walk alongside you every step of the way.

He cries, too.

He clarifies and comforts.

He kisses.

He calls.

What a good, good God we serve. I am so thankful for literature like Narnia to continue to point us to Jesus.

For the one walking through a season of grief, pain, and hardship.

Do you feel like Digory? Or someone you know? Friend, my heart breaks with you. I wholeheartedly offer this encouragement to you as you spend time with God in this season:

• Enter His Presence with holy reverence. Remember He is the Lion of Judah. Close the door. Withhold nothing. Let yourself go in His Presence.

• Rest in the safety of His perfect love and under the shadow of His wings. He will cry with you. He will comfort you. And He will speak truth over you.

• Let Him give you ‘the Lion’s kiss.’ Remember the extravagant love of Jesus. Let Him breathe life into your aching heart, peace into your mind. Let Him be your new strength and courage to face today.

• Listen for His still small voice and the call on your life, even if it is just the next right step. He will walk with you.

You are not alone. You are seen. You are known. You are loved by your Heavenly Father.

*Disclaimer: Aslan is a character, but He is not God. And that is the beautiful thing about allegory! It sure is wonderful to see such a beautiful comparison/liking to God! That’s why I’m digging into this story and character - to find more of God! :)

resources hand-picked just for you

Books

• The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

• How to Worship a King by Zach Neese

Sermons

• “Make the Break” by Ps Charlotte Gambill (start at 25:00)

• God Is - a sermon series by Ps Robert Morris, all about God’s character, described in Exodus 34.

• “The Oil of Intimacy” by Ps Preston Morrison

• “The Awe of God” by John Bevere

Songs

“First Love” by Kari Jobe

“Nothing Else” by Cody Carnes