Entering the Right Way

by Rolaant McKenzie

One of the best-known works of renowned British author Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) is a seven-part series of children's epic fantasy novels written between 1950 and 1956 known as The Chronicles of Narnia. Narnia is described as a magical place of talking animals and other mythical creatures. Each novel follows the adventures of various children during different periods of time in Narnia who are brought there from Earth by the lion Aslan, the creator of Narnia, to save the realm from an evil currently threatening it.

The sixth published book in the series, though chronologically the second, was The Magician's Nephew (1955). The story featured a young boy and girl named Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, who were neighbors in a Victorian London row house. Polly lived with her parents, but Digory lived with his Uncle Andrew and Aunt Letty because his father was in India and his mother was gravely ill. They became friends as they explored the attics connecting the houses.

One day the exploration of Digory and Polly led them into Uncle Andrew's secret study room, where he had been experimenting with magic and had made some rings that allowed travel between one world and another. These rings enabled the children to travel to a wood between worlds, where there were many pools of water that led to other worlds in other universes. The children jumped into one of the pools that led to a dead world orbiting a dying red giant sun. Due to Digory's recklessness, they encountered an evil queen named Jadis, who managed to escape with them to another pool leading to an empty world.

In this empty world the lion Aslan, by his word through singing, brought into existence the stars, planets, mountains, vegetation, trees, and animals. However, this was marred by the presence of Jadis, who, after a failed attack on Aslan, fled in terror into a nearby forest.

Aslan tasks Digory to undo the harm he had done in introducing evil into his new world in the person of Jadis. He commands Digory to travel to a walled garden on a steep green hill at the western edge of Narnia. There, he is to enter through the gates, go to the center of the garden to a special apple tree, pick one of the apples, and bring it back to Aslan. Aslan's plan was to use the apple to plant a tree that would be imbued with a special power that would protect Narnia for many years from Jadis. It was his intent that the land be granted a long, bright morning before any clouds came over the sun.

For the long journey Aslan provided Fledge, a horse to whom he had provided wings, to transport Digory and Polly to the garden. Once there, Digory went alone to the gates. He saw silver writing on gold:

Come in by the gold gates or not at all,
Take of my fruit for others or forbear,
For those who steal or those who climb my wall
Shall find their heart's desire and find despair.

Entering through the gates, Digory found the tree and picked a silver apple. Though he was tempted to eat it, he remembered the inscription on the gates and put the apple in his pocket. As Digory was leaving, he was confronted by Jadis, who had climbed over the wall into the garden, stolen an apple, and was eating it. She told him of the life-giving properties of the apple. She sought to get him to distrust Aslan and take an apple for himself to give to his dying mother. Jadis tempted Digory further by saying he could eat the apple himself and live forever as a king of Narnia or his world alongside her as queen. Digory resisted the temptations of Jadis and fled through the gates to Fledge and Polly and left her behind.

Digory, Polly, and Fledge returned to Aslan, who told Digory to throw the apple toward a nearby river. Shortly after he did so, it grew into a large tree full of silver apples. Aslan encouraged him that the tree would keep Jadis out of Narnia for a very long time. He also told Digory that because Jadis had eaten one of the apples, she would have an unending life of evil. The same would have happened if he had stolen an apple and given it to his mother.

Aslan, however, gave permission to Digory to take an apple for his mother. He then returned him, Polly, and Uncle Andrew home. Digory went right away to his mother's bed, cut the apple, and fed it to her. Once the apple was consumed, she was healed and was able to leave her bed and resume normal life with joy. Digory's father returned from India, and the whole family moved to a large house in the country that they had inherited from a wealthy relative. Though they were no longer neighbors, Digory and Polly always remained friends.

When Digory and Polly entered Narnia their own way instead of being brought in by Aslan, things went awry, and evil was brought into this new world. But when Digory was sent by Aslan to the garden and entered it the right way (through the gates), resisted the temptation to return home by his own devices with a stolen apple, and did what he was tasked to do, Aslan returned them home by his power, and things turned out well in the end.

How someone enters a place can make a great difference. If a man knocks on the front door of your home, you grant him permission to enter, and you welcome him into the hospitality of your house, then all is well because he came in the right way. However, if this same man entered your house the wrong way, that is, without permission through a back door or side window, then you will probably do everything in your power to remove him from your home, including seeking help from your local law enforcement.

The same thing applies when someone immigrates to a country. There are laws and procedures established by that country to enter and become a legal resident or citizen. As long as he comes through the front gates (i.e., he follows those rules), that person is able to enjoy the rights and privileges of being a legitimate dweller in that nation. But if he seeks to come into a country another way besides the front gates, he has no legal right to dwell in that nation and is subject to arrest and deportation.

In Jesus' Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matthew 22:1-14), a king sent out his messengers to invite people to a wedding feast for his son. Some ignored or declined the invitation to pursue other activities. Others treated the king's messengers shamefully and killed them. Those who accepted the king's invitation, even those who came from the streets and highways, were offered the required attire for the celebration.

As the king looked over his dinner guests, he noticed one who did not enter the right way. He was not wearing the wedding clothes provided. The man was seized, bound, and expelled to the place of outer darkness, where its residents weep and gnash their teeth.

Unlike the young man Digory in The Magician's Nephew, who, in a special garden, did not surrender to temptation and eat a silver apple, another young man named Adam ate of the forbidden fruit from a tree in the middle of another special garden long ago called Eden, bringing sin, suffering, and death into the world and separating us from God. But the Father sent His Son Jesus into the world to reconcile us to Him through His perfectly righteous life, death on the cross for sinners, and resurrection from the dead (John 3:16-18; Romans 5).

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

God sends out to us the invitation to the wedding feast for His Son Jesus, who is the only one who grants eternal life to anyone who believes in Him (John 14:6). But to receive this gift, we must enter the banquet hall the right way, not wearing our own garments but only the white robe of righteousness provided by God through Jesus Christ (Psalm 71:14-16; Isaiah 64:6).

Repent of your sins and humble yourself before God. Place your trust solely in the Lord Jesus and His righteousness today. He will guarantee your entrance into the gates of the new city in the new country (Hebrews 11:8-16). In it resides a very special garden with a tree bearing life-giving fruit.

"Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life." (Revelation 22:14)