The Downside of Apostleship
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men. Matt. 10:16, 17.
Some have felt that Jesus got it all backward. They have met some church members who have been harmless as serpents and wise as doves. There may be some like that in your congregation. And with a little Spirit-guided introspection we might discover those characteristics in ourselves.
But Jesus didn't have it backward. He knew what He was talking about. Matthew 10 is the second of His recorded sermons in the first Gospel. The initial one was the Sermon on the Mount, in which He set forth the principles of His kingdom. This one finds Jesus instructing His disciples to preach those principles as He sends them out on their first independent evangelistic tour.
So far the instruction has been very encouraging. Not only were they to preach the message, but like Jesus, they were to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [and] cast out devils" (Matt. 10:8) It sounded like a great deal. They were going to get to do some really neat things. If all went well, they would have power and authority. People, they must have thought, would seek them out. Everything would be wonderful.
But! And "but" is one of the most important words in our vocabulary. "But" that wasn't the whole story. The reason that they needed to be wise as serpents and harmless and doves soon showed up in Jesus' sermon in the words "but beware of men."
The disciples would have notoriety all right, but it wouldn't all be positive. After all, it hadn't been thus far in the experience of Jesus. He preached a countercultural message that the individuals already running things in the Jewish world--the high priests, Pharisees, scribes, and the Sanhedrin--would view as an outright challenge to their position.
He had not made friends by shouting out in public, "You have been told in the past, but I say unto you." His message confronted the powers that be. And they would react, eventually putting Jesus on the cross.
And now Jesus is telling His followers to do and say the same things. They also would be resisted. As a result, they would need the wisdom of a serpent and the tranquil personality of a dove as they navigated through a complex world.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men. Matt. 10:16, 17.
Some have felt that Jesus got it all backward. They have met some church members who have been harmless as serpents and wise as doves. There may be some like that in your congregation. And with a little Spirit-guided introspection we might discover those characteristics in ourselves.
But Jesus didn't have it backward. He knew what He was talking about. Matthew 10 is the second of His recorded sermons in the first Gospel. The initial one was the Sermon on the Mount, in which He set forth the principles of His kingdom. This one finds Jesus instructing His disciples to preach those principles as He sends them out on their first independent evangelistic tour.
So far the instruction has been very encouraging. Not only were they to preach the message, but like Jesus, they were to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [and] cast out devils" (Matt. 10:8) It sounded like a great deal. They were going to get to do some really neat things. If all went well, they would have power and authority. People, they must have thought, would seek them out. Everything would be wonderful.
But! And "but" is one of the most important words in our vocabulary. "But" that wasn't the whole story. The reason that they needed to be wise as serpents and harmless and doves soon showed up in Jesus' sermon in the words "but beware of men."
The disciples would have notoriety all right, but it wouldn't all be positive. After all, it hadn't been thus far in the experience of Jesus. He preached a countercultural message that the individuals already running things in the Jewish world--the high priests, Pharisees, scribes, and the Sanhedrin--would view as an outright challenge to their position.
He had not made friends by shouting out in public, "You have been told in the past, but I say unto you." His message confronted the powers that be. And they would react, eventually putting Jesus on the cross.
And now Jesus is telling His followers to do and say the same things. They also would be resisted. As a result, they would need the wisdom of a serpent and the tranquil personality of a dove as they navigated through a complex world.
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