Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves

 

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

- Matthew 10:16-23 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus sent out the Twelve and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

 

  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  My study Bible comments that Jesus instructs the disciples to be wise as serpents so that they might not be unnecessarily wounded and that they might take all advantage in the spread of the gospel.  To be harmless as doves so that they should not retaliate against those who do them wrong, and blameless in their witness of the gospel. 

 

 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."  My study Bible comments here that persecution must not cause the disciple to quit, but simply to move forward in one's mission.  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible notes, before the Son of Man comes is not a reference to Christ's Second Coming, but it simply means that before the disciples could visit all the cities in Palestine, Christ would rejoin them, and therefore more quickly end the hostility they would encounter. 

Jesus tells the disciples, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  This teaching would seem to apply to us today as much as it did to the disciples, for if we carry Christ into the world we are bound to find, at times, that the world will not "receive" us either.  This mindset is very important, and remains so in the Church.  To be wise as serpents remains an important concept in this word translated as "wise."  This word in Greek is φρόνιμος/phronimos.  It indicates a mind-set, an attitude, a way of looking out at the world.  Its indication is prudence, a pragmatic understanding of do's and don'ts, in that sense of shrewdness conveyed here.  It asks us for the kind of sensitivity a proper missionary or even emissary or representative should have.  Some synonyms given by Strong's are intelligent, prudent, sensible, wise.  In the mind of the Church, a related word, φρόνημα/phronema, remains important (and remains in important use in Orthodoxy), as it conveys a set of values and way of thinking that is sought to be cultivated through faith and religious practice, an understanding of relationships and relatedness in Christ.  (St. Paul uses this word when He speaks of the "mind" of the flesh and the "mind" of the spirit in Romans 8:6-7, 27.)  It indicates once more the internal reality of faith, that this Kingdom the disciples are to announce isn't just a matter of rules or a written code, but is also something internal to us, and dynamic, and in which we grow.  The word translated as "harmless" (in harmless as doves) literally means "unmixed" (ἀκέραιος/akeraios), indicating innocence and simplicity, purity, to be without mixed motives.  It also teaches us something of an inner mindset, even a purity of heart when it comes to the gospel message.  In the prayers and the practices of the Church over time, and through our faith and God's work in us, we are to build up this understanding and mindset conveyed by Christ.  We are to understand that engaging in fruitless struggles and debates gets us nowhere in our message of the gospel of the Kingdom, but only following His teachings as directed here.  So much of Christ's teaching is about the formation of mindset, a way to look at ourselves in the world, and our place as those who also seek both to dwell in and to bear Christ' kingdom into the world.   These disciples have lived with Him and learned from Him, and He sends them out to be "like Him" in bearing the gospel message.  We are reminded of St. Paul's words to the Athenians, in preaching to them of the "unknown god" (to the Athenians) for whom he was an apostle:  "for in Him we live and move and have our being."   To be wise as serpents and harmless as doves is part of what it means to live and move and have our being in Christ, to develop the way He wants us to live, the "mind" of the spirit.  May we continue to learn how to embody His word for us.

 

 

 

 

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves

 

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

- Matthew 10:16-23 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus  sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission, He and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" 

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  My study Bible says that Jesus instructs the disciples to be wise as serpents so that they might not be unnecessarily wounded and that they might take all advantage in the spread of the gospel.  He also tells them to be as harmless as doves so that they should not retaliate against those who do them wrong, and should be blameless in their witness of the gospel.  

"But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."  Let us note how Jesus does not at all promise an easy time for the spread of the gospel!  Let us note that for Jesus the emphasis is on testimony.  He tells them, "Do not worry" about what they will testify, and emphasizes the need for reliance upon God -- and here we have mention of the Spirit.  Finally, He emphasizes endurance through all, even if they are hated by all "for My name's sake."  My study Bible comments that persecution must not cause the disciple to quit, but simply to move forward in mission.  According to St. John Chrysostom, before the Son of Man comes is not a reference to His Second Coming, but it means that before the disciples could visit all the cities in Palestine, He would rejoin them -- thus more quickly ending the hostilities they would encounter.

Let us note the things that Christ emphasizes.  There will be opposition to the spread of the gospel, and not only that, but the opposition will be highly personal.  In the Letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul writes:  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  What this suggests to me is the depth to which our commitment to Christ will ask of us to make choices, and open the door to those who oppose.  We can't underestimate possible opposition -- Jesus goes so far as to use the word "hate" when He says that "you will be hated by all for My name's sake."  He does not mince words when speaking of the opposition to come, nor of the endurance which will be necessary, and our complete reliance upon God.  I find that these remain words to live by, as there are circumstances in life which remain unpredictable and chaotic.  To be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" is prudent, strong advice for those who are like "sheep in the midst of wolves."  Because we are His sheep, we must not conflate God's power with the kind of worldly power we associate with worldly kingdoms.  God does not go out to conquer the world in order to obtain "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matthew 4:8).  Indeed, this is one of the temptations of the devil to Jesus as He began His ministry, right after His Baptism by John the Baptist.  No, the word of God wields a different power, one that is not obvious, just as the coming of the Kingdom is not obvious (Luke 17:20-21).  This is why, although we understand there is evil working in the world, we follow Christ's instructions here, and we must still keep them in mind.  For there is a power at work in all things, even in the midst of persecutions, that works as an opportunity to testify.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus puts these sayings in the context of His teaching on the end times, and again speaks of persecution as an occasion for testimony (see Luke 21:7-19).  Sometimes, as Christ advises, we may also need to flee from persecution to continue the work of discipleship and apostleship.  Let us simply note that, regardless of our circumstances in life, Jesus speaks for us all here concerning the work of discipleship. Even if we are not sent out as apostles, to follow these admonitions in His commandments is to live the life we are meant to live:  we follow His commands, we don't forget and don't remain asleep to the presence of evil in the world.  But neither do we seek out conflict or enemies, because the Cross remains our ultimate weapon and the power of God at work in His word and His truth.  Let us continue our own journey in contemplation of His words and how true they are, even in our own time and circumstance, no matter how far or how long a distance separates us from His time and place when these words were spoken. They remain true for us now (Matthew 24:35).  

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

- Matthew 10:16-23

Yesterday we read that Jesus sent out His chosen twelve and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor copper in your moneybelts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  My study bible says that Jesus instructs the disciples to be wise as serpents so that they might not be unnecessarily wounded and that they might see all true opportunity in the spread of the gospel.  To be as harmless as doves is to not retaliate against those who do them wrong, and be blameless in their witness of the gospel.

"But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."  Jesus warns the apostles (as they are being sent on their first mission) in a way that speaks to all subsequent missionary work.  He warns about why they need to be shrewd (wise as serpents).  They will face persecution, and also testify to the Gentiles, who rule as governors and kings.  It's quite important to note the words here:  it is "the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."  This is the Holy Spirit, who "proceeds from the Father" and who together "with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified."

"Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved."  Here we are given the levels of persecution that will be experienced, even brother delivering brother to death, and a father his child, or children their parents.  We should not be surprised at what history will reveal.  But the important word here is endurance; He wishes for His disciples to endure to the end.

"When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."  My study bible notes here that persecution must not cause a disciple to quit, but merely to move forward in one's mission.  According to St. John Chrysostom, before the Son of Man comes isn't a reference to the Second Coming.  But it merely means that before the disciples could visit all the cities in Palestine, Christ would rejoin them, and thereby more quickly ending the hostility they would encounter.

Jesus tells His disciples to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  He warns them that they are being sent out by Him "as sheep in the midst of wolves."  We may think that in our daily lives such dire warnings and advice is not applicable.  But one might be surprised how this advice stands us in good stead.  To be faithful to Christ may often mean we're at odds with those around us in one way and another.  Our opinions may differ; we may disagree about how to approach a problem, or how we treat others.  Whatever it is, these words still hold true.  To be as "wise as serpents" is an interesting phrase.  In this case, the word for "wise" indicates a type of forbearance.  It means to be prudent, to measure one's actions before taking them, to be reticent in some sense, not impulsive.  The word for "serpents" is exactly what one would expect it to be.  Usually this is used in a negative sense, to indicate the devil or Satan.  But Jesus doesn't speak of evil here; He's telling His own disciples that they need to be equally savvy about their circumstances, not naive.  We are to be the intelligent, rational sheep, and to know what we are about.   The word for "harmless" (in the phrase "harmless as doves") means simple, unmixed, sincere.  We can't go into things with mixed motives or hidden agendas, for these surely will simply be used against us.  This is another kind of caution about the need for self-knowledge, and the rigorous application and practice of repentance, of being aware of our own flaws or weaknesses.  Thinking about the terms that Jesus uses, and His included warnings about dire persecutions to come, takes us into an understanding that His faith isn't for those who wish for an easy life, or to live in a kind of abstract fantasy.  Rather, it's a faith that asks of us a rigorous understanding of reality, of precisely what is and what isn't, where we can go and where we can't -- and a strong self-awareness and discipline that serve the Kingdom and its message.  This isn't a faith for those who live in denial of the problems of the world, but rather for those who believe precisely because its salvific impact is so precious and necessary, as is its message of love.  We must note also the type of salvation that is implied here:  human beings are capable of bearing even the Spirit of the Father and the words given by the Spirit as testimony.  Salvation isn't merely an abstract notion, but works even to illuminate the nature of human beings, and teach us what we are capable of being and becoming.  The discipline implied here is for all who will follow, in communion and individually.  The commitment necessary is another kind of comment on the rigors and transcendence such "rational sheep" are capable of.  We think of those whom He's sending out, practically none of whom have particularly exalted education or social standing.  But what is asked of them is deep and powerful.  What is promised elevates all of us.  We are each invited to participate in this Kingdom and this ongoing work of the harvest.