Need a substitute?

I was surprised and saddened by the news this week that Robin Williams has died. He was an actor whose films I grew up with and loved; he was guaranteed to make me laugh! But by all accounts, behind his quick-tongued, comic, public persona was a deep darkness and despair, a loneliness and a fear which he made no attempt to hide. By his own confession, he looked for escape and relief in drugs and in drink, but presumably, never found the peace he was looking for.

One of Williams’ favourite books was said to be C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. At the heart of this wonderful book is the kingly lion, Aslan, who offers himself to the White Witch as a substitute for Edmund, the boy who has been condemned to death for treason. Aslan dies in place of Edmund who goes free! Lewis was clear that his inspiration for Aslan was the Lord Jesus who substituted himself for us! “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Our sin, the wrong that we do, the hurt that we cause brings on us God’s punishment, but Jesus, the king, takes that punishment on himself, bears our wounds, dies our death; the result for us, as for Edmund, is freedom, peace, healing.

Many of us, like Robin Williams, end up looking for peace in the wrong places; let us instead bring our sorrows, our infirmities, our shame to Jesus, who stands in for us as our substitute and gives lasting peace.