Two Lions


This morning I am thinking about the fact that the Bible uses the imagery of a Lion to describe both Jesus and Satan.

"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?' And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.  Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worth the open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, 'Stop weeping, behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.'" - Revelation 5:2-5

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your enemy, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8

And for some odd reason - images from the Lion King come to mind.

First there is Mufasa.  He is the king of Pride Rock and the beautiful and bountiful lands that surround it.  He is also "brother" to a jealous lion named Scar.  Scar believes the kingdom should be his.  And when Mufasa has a young son named Simba who he proclaims will one day rule the land, Scar devises a plan to kill Simba.

I can almost hear the cries, "CRUCIFY HIM!'...

While Simba is down in a gorge, Scar's "henchmen" (the hyenas) incite a wildebeest stampede that will surely trample Simba.  However, at the last minute Mufasa rescues Simba.  And then, as Mufasa is climbing out of the gorge, Scar plunges his claws into Mufasa's own paws causing him to falter and fall to his death.

I can almost see nails driven through hands...

While Simba is looking at his dead father saying, "I didn't mean for this to happen" Scar (acting as a caring and concerned uncle) replies, "of course you didn't - but the fact is the King is dead, and it if weren't for you he'd still be alive...."  Scar then encourages the guilt-ridden Simba to run away.

I can almost hear the lies Satan is happy to tell...

With Scar in charge - Pride Rock and the land around it becomes a place of ruin, and when an older Simba (looking very much like his father) returns after seeing a "spiritual" representation of his Dad, he finds the land to be a rotting, gray shell of it's former self.  

Holy Smokes!  Did I just see Father, Son and Spirit - all one?  All part of the same?! 

In a scene enveloped in fire, Simba and Scar fight.  And at one point, it looks as if Scar might win, for Simba is in the same position Mufasa was before his death - hanging off the edge of a cliff.  But before Scar once again plunges claws into paws, he admits that he was the one who killed Mufasa. 

Scar's admission emboldens Simba who then gets the upper hand and demands that Scar "tell them the truth".  Scar replies, "Truth?...Truth is in the eye of the beholder"...

Oh my!  Different truths - Your truth, My truth...Surely one of Satan's most evil plots!

Then, in an epic final battle - good and evil fight.  Scar is cast down into the flames, and his hyenas pounce upon him.  Evil consumes itself.

Wow...all of a sudden, this cartoon has taken on some new life!

I began my day thinking about two lions:
  1. the Lion of Judah who will one day open the scrolls of the epic final battle, and 
  2. the evil lion who prowls around looking for someone to devour.  
There were those who followed Mufasa, and those who followed Scar.  And I think the message here is to know which "lion" you are following.

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