| “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” – Matthew 10:16 |
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| WISDOM FOR DEALING WITH “WOLVES” In Matthew 10:16 Jesus imparts wise instructions to His disciples who will be facing tremendous dangers as they serve Him. He gives them a very graphic picture of what ministering in a world that hates them is by telling them they are SHEEP in the midst of WOLVES. One can sense the dangers, cannot one? Wolves love to devour sheep. So with the pending danger, Jesus says THEREFORE since I am sending you into the danger zone one must be WISE in order to not get killed. To convey being WISE Jesus chooses another very graphic illustration by strangely pointing one to the SERPENT, to a SNAKE. While we may immediately think of a serpent as dangerous, they are actually acutely aware that they themselves are always in danger. Because of the DANGER of losing their lives, they are very ALERT and CAUTIOUS. They anticipate danger. I think Jesus gives us the serpent as an example of being wise when dealing with dangerous people because they USE their heads so they don’t lose their heads. There is a sad truth as we will work and minister with people of the “world’ and “worldly” people that we must recognize that they do not always have our best interests in mind. Matter of fact they will look to harm you. You, therefore, must be wise and not get trapped – or worse destroyed. Jesus also teaches here to think of yourself as a DOVE. (Talk about contrast. A snake and a dove are so totally different.) As a dove, you are not going to harm. As one is wise to deal with danger one is careful to not harm the one they are dealing with. The persecutor still needs the plan of salvation. The problem maker still needs the Savior! The one hurting still needs help. We do not want to attack our attackers. While being threatened with harm, we don’t harm. As you serve the Lord and minister to people Jesus teaches us to BE WISE and BE GENTLE. You say this is tough. And it is. BTW – Whoever told you ministry was supposed to be easy? So get involved in reaching people for Jesus, going out like a serpent with wisdom and a dove with gentleness! Verse to DATE the Word on October 16 (10/16) is Matthew 10:16. It says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” You will be wise to implement Jesus’ instruction as you navigate the danger zone! Continue Strong with wisdom and gentleness. And remember to DATE The WORD! |