Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves

‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

- Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus is sending out his apostles, the Twelve, on their first apostolic mission. He has invested them with his power to heal in all ways, to minister, to teach. He gives them instructions, here, for how they are to conduct themselves and operate on their journey. We must remember that they are representing the kingdom, and so their conduct has to reflect the rules of bringing this kingdom into the world and what that means on spiritual levels.

'See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.' We know from yesterday's passage that Jesus has instructed his apostles to give their peace in wherever they go; if their peace is received, it will stay upon those they encounter. If it is refused, it will come back to the apostles. Here, we are given a more clear picture or image of what exactly is taking place: they are being sent out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Bringing the kingdom into the world is bringing a reality into the world that is different in its rules and its nature than "the world's" normal ways of interacting and operating. Power is distributed freely to the apostles, and they are expected to freely give, "not as the world gives." So they must remember to take care of themselves, and to operate a certain way: wary of persecution, and at the same time doing nothing to provoke it.

'Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles.' The apostles are to be wary of the wolves who will seek their persecution. Jesus indicates clearly this is "because of me" - the conflict of his kingdom with that of "the wolves'' will always be present. His extension of himself and his power will also mean that they will be treated as he has been. 'When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.' I find it interesting and intriguing that we are told that the "Spirit of the Father" will speak via the apostles. My study bible notes: "The work of the disciples in advancing the Kingdom of God is accompanied and empowered by the Spirit, who always accomplishes His purposes." The Spirit accompanies all that is done in this name. We must always be aware today, that what we do in the name of this kingdom must be done with this in mind, and through prayer and communion with this spiritual reality.

'Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.' The nature of conflict is deep; it divides us along lines more deeply within us than any other relationship we have - and we must be prepared to understand this. A spiritual reality works at this level of the soul, perhaps more profoundly than any of us can understand within ourselves. 'But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.' We don't know, perhaps, what exactly is meant by the last phrase. Perhaps, most likely, this refers to Jesus' persecution and revelation of himself as Son of Man in Jerusalem. But one thing is most important: here the disciples are told once again that they are not to fight back, but to simply move on to the next town. We remember their first mission is among the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." So, they must stick to their mission. When they are rejected or persecuted in one place, they are simply to move to the next town, and begin again. They are to give their peace, and see where it is received. This is the mission. I think we would do well to understand both the narrow limits and confines of this mission - and at the same time, to perceive the great expansion of power that has happened here through the appointment of these apostles to do this work. They are to stick with what they have been told: to offer peace, to move on where there is persecution, and to simply shake the dust off their feet and move on to the next town. They will be performing healings of power, doing Christ's work as an extension of the kingdom. There is at once a great sense of the extraordinary happening, and at the same time, a grounding reality of wariness, caution and peace. We would do well to remember the same as we walk in the world now, lest we forget his instructions to us, and to them.