Zoo Tycoon

Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to 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 [Jesus Christ], the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

— Revelation 5:4-5

There’s a video game called Zoo Tycoon. It’s a single-player game where the player is the owner/manager of a zoo. The objective of the game is to begin with a small amount of money and build a viable, sustainable, enjoyable zoo for the virtual animals and the patrons who visit it. It’s a marvelous game and something I believe would be an effective tool in just about any entry-level business class. The game designers made it so real that if you forget to lock the cages, the animals will escape and wreak havoc on the zoo and the frightened people. If you choose to install a lion cage and forget to lock it (or purposely unlock it, like I did, just to see what would happen), someone’s going to get mauled…yes, it’s that realistic.I suppose it’s fair to assume that most lions, given the chance, would exit their cages and become a hazard to the world around them, especially the hungry ones. Satan is like this. Give the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) the freedom to roam about and he devours those he comes into contact with…Job would certainly agree (Job 1-2).Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
However, the Lion of Judah, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has shown us what true restraint looks like. This Lion is not like the one that devours - this Lion came to protect and to serve. Our Lord is a gentle Lion, though strength is never an issue, for He is also the most powerful of all. He is the Word of God (John 1) and He is more than capable of defending Himself.“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.” God’s intention is to transform us believers into the very image of His Son, the Lion (Romans 8:29). In this sense, we are like little “cubs”, frolicking amongst ourselves while the leader of the pride keeps watch over our souls, always at the ready to fend off predators. We are growing up, by grace, and as we do so, we begin to exhibit more and more of His strength. However, as Satan has proven, strength mixed with arrogance results in carnage. In humility, we are to marvel at how our strength is bridled by self-control, for that is fruit of the Spirit.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.Jesus Christ, the omnipotent One, did not destroy Satan when tempted by him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), even though He could have (ref. Philippians 2:8). Instead, in humility to His Father’s plan, He resisted the devil’s temptations by applying scripture, repeating, “it is written…”, revealing to His cubs that the Word is able to defend us from any/all spiritual attacks. Therefore, we have a Lord that understands our plight, One who overcame our most powerful enemy by the grace of God, ”For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).As the Lion defended Himself, so shall His cubs. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).A believer’s restraint is one of the greatest shows of faith, hope, and love…and strength. Strictly speaking, it would’ve been much easier for Jesus to tap into His omnipotent deity and simply destroy Satan on the spot, whenever he opposed Him. Likewise, it would’ve been easier to follow that pattern any time He was attacked by anyone during His ministry. The greatest display of strength ever known to man was evident on the Cross. While Jesus could’ve easily come down from the Cross, He chose self-control in order to fulfill His Father’s plan. He understood true strength was in restraint, and has since given it to all of us.When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 

Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”The human flesh is weak and its arrogance is carnivorous (spiritually speaking). Weakness flexes when it shouldn’t, where strength exercises self-control. Given our transgressions against each other, and our ever-present flesh, it’s a wonder any of us are still standing. Thank God for the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thank God for His power working through us, lest we “give the devil an opportunity” to incite us against each other (Ephesians 4:27).But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.The next time you walk out of your cage, will you do so as a ferocious beast, seeking someone to devour, or will you exercise true power through self-control, flexing only as necessary in defense of all things good and righteous, as does the King of our pride, Jesus Christ?

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins