Now that's a crazy Christian!

Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

My wife mentioned to me this morning an interesting thought that was brought up by our pastor in church a few weeks ago: does your dog ever bark, whine, grumble, or howl at you as if you should understand what he or she is attempting to say? The pastor brought this up while mentioning that prior to man’s fall in the Garden, all of God’s creatures were in perfect harmony with one another, even to the point of being able to clearly communicate. Dogs, cats, chickens, and the rest of the animals are not currently aware that sin has corrupted mankind and separated us from the perfect unity that was had in the Garden. That is why they still, to this day, think we’ll understand: because they have not fallen into sin, but have been unwillingly subjected to its consequences!

In Romans 8 verses 20 and 21, the Bible tells us, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” This being the case, have we, the Christian world, ever taken into account that it’s not just our friends, family, and neighbors who need to hear the gospel? Horticulturists have said for years that speaking to your plants or playing music for them can actually help them grow and thrive. How much more good could be done for your garden by preaching the Gospel to your fruits and vegetables?

Sometimes we don’t take the Bible for what it says, but we read into it to draw our own conclusions. Take this particular verse as an example. We interpret it to mean we need to go out and tell the people of the world the Good News, that is, Jesus Christ and His restoration of our souls to righteousness through the cross, but is that the correct interpretation? This verse, incidentally spoken by Jesus, specifically says, “...preach the gospel to every creature.” The word ‘every’ in this case is translated from the Greek word ‘pas’ meaning, “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything”.

So what was Christ really saying here? I believe that He was making a point to His followers that we are to proclaim His victory over sin and death to everything on the face of the earth, not just people. You may think that sounds crazy and perhaps you would even feel a bit “special” telling your pet or tomato plant that Jesus Christ died to conquer sin and restore the world, but there is power in doing this.

When you speak to your dog, “Did you know that Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross? It’s true, He did. Christ fulfilled all of the requirements of God’s holy law and claimed victory over sin!” Not only may it have a positive impact on your dog’s well being, but it will also increase your personal faith in His finished work. (Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.)

So, let’s be crazy for Christ! It’s time to start letting the trees, the grass, the cats, and the dogs of the world know that sin has been conquered and that Christ is the King. Not only will God’s creation be happy to hear it, but you’ll be blessed for saying it!