Not slaves, but free

January 14, 2025

Dear Friends,

If you’ve never read C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, let me offer a hearty recommendation. You may be most familiar with the first story, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. There are seven books in all, and they are chock full of memorable characters, stories, and bits of wisdom, most of which is very relevant to Christians.

Here’s a bit that I was struck by this week. In the 5th novel, A Horse and His Boy, Shasta (the boy) and Bree (the horse) have joined up with Aravis (a girl) and Hwin (another horse) on a journey. For Shasta and Bree, the journey is from slavery to freedom, and it is difficult, tiring, and full of danger.

At some point, Bree thinks he cannot go on, and Hwin gives a reply:

"Well I can't go on without a snack," said Bree. "Take my bridle off, Shasta.""P-please," said Hwin, very shyly, "I feel just like Bree that I can't go on. But when Horses have humans (with spurs and things) on their backs, aren't they often made to go on when they're feeling like this? and then they find they can. I m-mean—oughtn't we to be able to do even more, now that we're free. It's all for Narnia.""I think, Ma'am," said Bree very crushingly, "that I know a little more about campaigns and forced marches and what a horse can stand than you do."To this Hwin made no answer, being, like most highly bred mares, a very nervous and gentle person who was easily put down. In reality she was quite right, and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that moment to make him go on, he would have found that he was good for several hours' hard going.

But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no-one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.

That last sentence is very insightful. Think about the application to our lives as Christians. We are on a journey from slavery (to sin) to freedom (in Christ). But what we find, having been freed through faith in Jesus, is that there’s a learning curve. We have to learn how to be free, and that includes disciplining ourselves. With the threats of God’s Law removed by the cross of Jesus, we are learning to want what is good instead of merely feeling like we must do what is good.

Fortunately, that lesson – learning how to be free – is precisely the lesson that God wants to teach us!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17–18).

What glory awaits, when at long last we will live as truly free sons of God!

God bless and keep you,

Pr. Buchs

COMING EVENTS: Wednesday, January 15 9:30 am – Chapel 10:00 am – Bible Study 6:00 pm – Bible Study 7:00 pm – Vespers

Sunday, January 12 9:00 am – Divine Service 10:30 am – Sunday School/Bible Study 11:30 am – Voters’ Meeting