Where the wild things are . . . worshipping

Posted on October 20, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

I noticed a reference to wild beasts in Mark 1:13:

And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (NKJV)

While in the wilderness, Jesus was with the wild animals. Do you suppose that the animals recognized Jesus as their creator and acted on that recognition? What would that have looked like?

During his entry into Jerusalem, when the people were hailing Jesus as king, the Pharisees demanded that Jesus rebuke his disciples for their pronouncement. Jesus replied in Luke 19:40 by telling them that if the disciples did not hail Jesus, the stones would.

If in animate objects such as stones have the potential to praise Jesus as Messiah, I can imagine that the animals could put on quite a show in deference to their Creator. I’ve seen ibexes in En Gedi, chasing each other, jumping from rock to rock in playful abandon. Would they have come to put on a jumping exhibition for Jesus? Would the other animals in the desert have come to greet him?

It seems to me that the God who enjoyed creating such a diverse animal kingdom would enjoy such interaction with his creation. Remember God’s reaction following the creation of animals? In Genesis 1:25, we have record of God proclaiming his handiwork with regard to animals as good work. God liked what he created. That very same God experienced 40 days in the wilderness as a man who could interact with the animals and derive pleasure from that interaction.

I never heard anyone ever speak or write about this, perhaps it is a stretch, but as the Pennsylvania Dutchman says, “this wonders me some.” How cool would it be to be able to pet a mountain lion or a wild ibex whenever you want to?

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

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