“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:16-18 NASB
These words from Jesus rang true for Paul and his team. Look closely at the text here in Matthew 10 and observe the purpose and reaction that Jesus prescribes. The purpose is first and foremost for “His sake.” It is done in the name of Jesus and for His name to be made famous. Specifically, he mentions the Gentiles who Paul certainly targeted with his testimony. It would be God’s own Jewish nation who would allow for Paul to have such an opportunity with the Gentiles. Though we look on the surface and see trouble, Jesus had already gone ahead of this situation to provide Paul with an audience he otherwise may have never seen.
The reaction Jesus desires is to be shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. It’s so fascinating to consider that these words he spoke would later be practically accomplished by the early church. If we ever wonder what he meant, we only need to look at the apostles and how they lived their lives. Christians under attack are not called to be helpless and gullible. We are called to be wise and crafty in our initiative to spread the Gospel. However, Jesus balances this animal with another metaphor.
Snakes often carried a negative association in Scripture, so Jesus says we are also to be as innocent as doves. The characteristic of the snake that is lifted high in this analogy is the fact that they self-preserve when they sense extreme danger. Therefore, an accurate rendering of this combination of animal characteristics could be a snake without the venom. We are called not to combat evil with evil but to overcome evil with good. All of this makes sense when you study how Paul handled the situation.
What we find is that Paul exemplified Jesus’ words extremely effectively. That passage in Matthew 10 goes on to promise that the Holy Spirit would give them the right words to say when the time was right. This is yet another promise we read being fulfilled in the life of Paul. The challenge today is to examine how we respond to similar situations. Are we both crafty and submissive? Do we embody the same characteristics of Paul? Furthermore, do we trust that when we are challenged that the Holy Spirit will give us the words and the actions to guide us?