Noted late literature Professor at Oxford, C.S. Lewis is back in the news again as his "Chronicles of Narnia" movie hits the big screen. I suppose a story boasting over 100 million in sales world wide will make a few bucks at the flick. The hoopla about the movie has pundits talking about whether or not Lewis was a liberal or fundamentalist. As a 'Fundy' I assert that I know of no out and out fundamentalist who claims the good professor. My credentials are suspect in that I like a lot of his material and have long admired his courage in marrying the woman he loved. They made a movie about that too.
C.S. Lewis said:
"It was the greatest rescue mission in history."
When I read this I immediately thought of the rescue raid on the airport at Entebbe in Uganda, Africa. 105 Jewish men and women were being held hostage by terrorists. The actual rescue battle took 58 minutes and one Israeli soldier was killed as were two of the hostages.
Of course C.S. Lewis had been with the Lord for many years when this rescue took place, so I then thought of the miraculous rescue of 340,000 Allied forces at Dunkirk during a six day period from May 27, to June 3,1940.
C. S. Lewis could have been referring to this famous rescue, during ocean transports, merchant ships, fishing ships and common pleasure boats took part in this modern wonder. He was not writing of this stupendous event.
Professor Lewis was speaking of Christmas in an article on this event and his emphasis was on Matthew 1:21 commenting of the instructions of the angel of the Lord who had told Joseph: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
This mission of the Son of God, preplanned in eternity was designed to save people from Adamic sin by placing all who believe into the Christ lineage, and through his resurrection power to enable all who believe to overcome the sins of addiction, the sins of practice. I know we all sin, but I shamefacedly know we don't have to, for he came to rescue us from these shackles also.
The greatest rescue mission in history.
When you look at Christmas, God sending his only begotten Son, to rescue, to deliver, to save His people, it takes you beyond the tinsel, the holly tree and even Santa, to a time of meditation to ponder the truly meaningful aspect of life, to deeply consider the things in our life that matter the most.
