Edmund and Asceticism

 

Before we can learn to say no to the old boy, we need to be able to say no to ourselves.

This lesson is beautifully illustrated for us in CS Lewis’ classic story The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. We find here the Witch, parading as the queen of Narnia change her stance from intense anger at the discovery of Edmund in Narnia, to one of acceptance, and welcoming hospitality. Offering him a treat of Turkish Delight and a warm spot with her on her sledge, she begins to question him about his life and family. Little does he know that she has already bought him. She continues to work on him and uses his anger against his family to separate him from them further, promising to give him a throne and power over all of Narnia. One of my grade six students this year commented on how this temptation mirrored Christ’s temptation in the desert when He was offered all the earthly power by the devil. Truly, the temptation of Turkish Delight was one and the same as Christ’s first temptation in the desert, that of physical nourishment.

From this story we can see two important spiritual truths. Firstly, that the powers of evil use our weaknesses against us. The Witch recognized immediately what buttons to push to accomplish her task with Edmund, promising him glory while at the same time sharpening her knife in preparation for his execution. The evil one and his servants hold this power over us, which in reality is only a power we give to them. As she lied to him, so he, the prince of lies, lies to us.

She did not introduce herself as the Queen of Narnia, have him take a seat next to her and in the next sentence ask his to turn over his family so that they, along with him could be killed to perpetuate her unlawful rule of the land. Instead she appealed to the easiest target she could pull into her sights, his stomach. This, the most primal and fundamental of needs is very frequently the first battlefield for our eternal souls, it is where we make our first stand. In order to combat this temptation and and not lead us open to spiritual attack, we require discipline. This discipline is fasting. Fasting and mortification bring the body under control and close that door to spiritual attack. The drawbridge to the castle of our souls is pulled up and fortified from the inside.

Only once we have the ability to say no to our own wants, desires and impulses will we be ready to say no to the evil one when the stakes are even higher. Only when we are ready to firmly plant our feet on the side of the Holy Trinity, all the angels and saints will we be truly productive in the battle. In order to do this we must learn to say no to ourselves in order to say no to the enemy. We must learn to say no to the Turkish Delights in our lives.

Let us continue the fast with joy! Glory to God for all things!