MR. TUMNUS - KIND OR FULL OF ULTERIOR MOTIVES

Lucy is standing at the lamppost when Mr. Tumnus comes along carrying wrapped packages. He is so surprised to come across Lucy that he drops all his packages into the snow. Lucy is also surprised because she has never seen anyone like Mr. Tumnus who is a faun - with two goat legs, two horns, a tail, and a human upper body. But Lucy doesn't fear him. He seems nice enough and she follows him to his home for a meal.

While she is there, he tries to sing her to sleep, for the law of the land says that whenever one comes across a human in Narnia, they must turn the human over to the White Witch. But he cannot bring himself to do it. He must betray her but he doesn't want to.

In the devotional Advent in Narnia by Heidi Haverkamp, Haverkamp says this about Lucy: "Lucy is just a little girl, but she's tougher than the faun and stands up for herself. While kindly offering her handkerchief for his copious tears, she insists he change his mind, that he repent. Her sense of justice and her kindness convert Tumnus; he changes his mind and chooses to become Lucy's friend instead of her kidnapper, even though it means putting himself in grave danger."

Have you ever found yourself in a situation when the "law" told you to do something you didn't want to do because it might hurt someone? Or have you ever needed to repent (which means turning in a completely different direction from what you were originally going to do)? Have you ever had to ask God for forgiveness or someone else for forgiveness? What was that like for you?

Admitting you are wrong is tough to do. And yet because "the people" were not seeking a relationship with God or admitting that going their own way was hurtful to God, God sent us Jesus to show us what a relationship with Him is like. God has mercy on us, just as Lucy had mercy on Mr. Tumnus. It doesn't make sense that God through His love would grant us mercy and forgiveness but He does.

During the rest of Advent think about that. Think about how Lucy showing Mr. Tumnus mercy and forgiveness is a symbol for how God shows us mercy and forgiveness. Unreal! Unbelievable! Amazing! To think that God never gave up on humanity even after people, generation after generation, walked away from Him. And continue to walk away from Him. And yet God never stops loving everyone!

Think about it.