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Jesus said: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (17) But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. (18) You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. (19) 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; (20) for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. (21) "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. (22) And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (23) 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. (24) "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. (25) It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” Matthew 10:16-25
Most of us have heard the phrase, “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Though it is good advice for many situations, the context is Jesus’s commission to His disciples to preach the gospel; He was preparing them for inevitable persecution. He even prophesied to them about adverse and intimidating circumstances they would face so they would not be caught off guard by bad reactions to their message.
Jesus also encouraged them not to think of themselves as “above” the message or better than anyone else—especially their Master, Who would humble Himself to make the supreme sacrifice to bring salvation to “whosoever will.”
According to the model above, Jesus equated the disciple (student) with a servant, and the teacher with the master. A servant does not put his own will or wishes first but carries out his master’s will, representing him in everything he does.
There are many stumbling blocks in the world today. We see many wrong things. It is easy to “get in the flesh” and let our old nature rise and take over when we feel pressured or angry. Our mouths can write checks that our bodies can’t cash. We can let our Lord down and misrepresent His mission because we forget to walk in the Spirit.
To be wise as a serpent, we must have an eye for the primary goal. Whose goal? Christ’s. We are wise if we take Him at His word and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us in oppressive situations.
To be harmless or gentle as a dove, we must allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us and give us the right words to say and actions to perform that will best represent God’s intention for the situation.
To properly serve Him and keep from following our old fallen nature, we must not insist that others know who we are, but we must demonstrate Whose we are by obeying His instructions.
It may seem impossible to follow His advice, but He promised to send us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Who would lead us into all truth. When we are in troubling circumstances, He has promised us His help.
(Proverb 18:24b) “…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Jesus will never leave or forsake us, and He has provided for all situations we will face. All we need to do is trust Him, for this greatly pleases Him.
Shalom shalom,
Pastora Cate
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