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Aslan and Tash
I’ve just finished reading the complete Chronicles of Narnia (thanks to Robin!) and finally made it to one of the parts I’ve been looking forward to since I began the seventh book, The Last Battle. This is the section I’m sure you’ve heard about even if you haven’t read the series. It is the bit where Aslan tells the young Calormene soldier, Emeth, that his service in the name of his god, Tash, counts as service to Aslan. Here is the section for those of you who are unfamiliar with it:
Aslan, “Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me…” Emeth, “Is it then true…that thou and Tash are one?” The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, “It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For he and I are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore, if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted” (p205).
Let’s switch out the names Aslan and Tash with Christ and satan, respectively (as I believe Lewis intended), and I think we will find that there are certain parts of that dialogue that we as Christians can definitely agree with. Such as, “no service which is vile can be done to me” and “if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted.” This last calls to mind atrocities committed in the name of our Lord – those performing the deeds may claim to do them in the name of Christ, but they are really doing the devil’s work. I don’t think any Christian would have a problem with that. But what of the reverse (and here lies my true query)? Are deeds done in the name of other gods than Christ accepted by Christ as a service done in His name? Will we, upon entrance to Heaven, be rewarded for the good we did before we became Christ’s? Or does that tally only start when we become His? This is separate to the issue of salvation, as that is a gift gained through faith in Christ, and is wholly apart from works. This relates purely (it seems to me) to the issues of heavenly rewards and who is glorified by our works.
What do you think?
Here is something I think, to a large extent, we will never know this side of the Gates. The Bible does not tell us, and in fact, stays oddly silent on the subject. As Lewis himself pointed out, the truth is, the Bible does not tell us what happens to those who have never heard of Him.
No man has excuse, mind you. God has written His Word on our hearts (esp true for Christians) but each of us has a conscience and knows guilt when we break it.
God takes count of all good done – the real point is that we are really incapable of doing “good” apart from Him. It is He that worketh in us. Some, and those really blessed, choose willingly to be used by Him – for works set aside from before the foundations of the world. In other words, any good is God’s and no one else’s. Will God count that for us even before we know Him – or in the case that we never know him…. or worse yet, the image we have of Him is false?
It is fair to say Yes. 1, it is His work not ours. 2, any image we have of Christ that is false (e.g. we are born Buddhist and told that Jesus is a magician and demon, etc) will be reconciled when we meet Him… and if we didn’t like Him because we thought Him evil, well we were making a judgment on what we thought “God should look like” – and who set that, even if it is in our own minds? Either our image of God is insufficient or its too great (ie perfect) and perhaps you have only heard bad things of Christ.
This was the case in Narnia with Emeth. He had only heard horrible things of Aslan but knew what good was and made a judgment call in favor of what he knew was good.
His was not a case of my judgment but judgment based on the word that God had written on his heart. It was not pridefully made, but honestly. God is truth and any such honesty must be attested to Him, not ourselves.
What of those chosen of God that did not know Christ – Moses, David and how about this one: Jesus is listed in the Order of Melchizedek yet Melchizedek himself honored the One True and Living God, but did not know the name “LORD” (Jehovah). He was not Jewish. But he honored God with his whole heart. And it is his name associated with Christ’s priesthood!
Any misplaced judgment that Christ doesn’t measure up means that we either don’t have a proper view of Him, or we have an improper view of ourselves. God will judge justly. He is just. In fact, we only know real justice because we know Him.