The conversation between Mr. Beaver and Lucy Pevensie regarding the good, not tame, lion Aslan has been quoted many times and, no doubt, will be familiar to everyone reading this post.
“Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
This quote seemed particularly relevant as I read, studied, and wrote this week in preparation for the sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:3. Christ is the Warrior King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, not a tame lion, by any means, but nonetheless very good. Believers are not endangered by his sword but comforted and kept secure by it. He is not safe, but we are safe with him. In fact, we are safe when we are with him for the very reason that he is not safe but good.
So it is to be with the sons of Adam, but alas, it is often not so. Adam was commanded to guard the garden. It was his job to get rid of the serpent, but instead, he stood by passively and allowed his wife to be deceived and led astray. Adam was not deceived; he was negligent. He knew what the serpent said was not true, but he did nothing to stop it. He did not grow up in Alabama, so he did not know what a hoe is made for. Its first use isn’t to weed the garden. It is designed to decapitate snakes who find their way into the garden. Adam was neither safe nor good at that moment; he was lazy and cowardly. Such a man is dangerous, and everyone under his authority is endangered by him.
Some men are “safe” because they are harmless, but no one around them will ever be safe. They cannot be relied upon. If trouble begins, you can only hope they have a cell phone and the presence of mind to use it. When seconds count, remember that the police are minutes away.
Other men are dangerous because they are not good. They have strength and the will to use it, but it is not regulated by a code of virtue. Saruman had power, but his power was corrupted by unholy desire. Such a person can never be trusted. He is neither safe nor good. Strength without virtue is always dangerous.
Immediately after the invasion and just before the first battle to conquer Canaan, Joshua saw a Man (the Greater Joshua) standing with a drawn sword in his hand (Jos. 5:13-15). The Israelite General challenged the unidentified visitor: “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” The Nameless Swordsman answered, “No.” He was the Commander of Yahweh’s Army, and he sanctified the very ground upon which he stood.
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is not for us or for our enemies. He is on his own side. He is not a tame lion. He is not safe. He is strong and dangerous. But those who take refuge with him are safe because he is good. The humble have no need to fear his sword, not because he is unable or unwilling to use it, but because he is both willing and skilled in doing so.
No woman is ever safe around a passive, lazy, cowardly, or incompetent man. Neither will she be safe with a strong man who lacks virtue. Women are safe around dangerous men whose strength and skill in battle is tempered and guided by the higher principle of virtue and honor. The Bride of Christ has such a husband. He is not tame. He is not safe. But she is safe, because he is good. --JME
