Wise As Serpents, Innocent As Doves

I’ve often pondered the words of Yeshua (Jesus) in Matthew 10 in which he spoke to His disciples before sending them out to minister to others. The longer I serve as a rabbi, the more these words mean to me:

Matthew 10:16 ““Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

First, as the verse begins, it is important for all of us who are sent by G-D to reach the unreached to remember that G-D already knows He is sending us as sheep among wolves. So we shouldn’t be surprised, dismayed, or disappointed when we are attacked or even bitten by wolves, nor should we be shocked that wolf bites hurt. 

This world is fallen and filled with sin and sinners. When Yeshua said to be wise as serpents, He was not just making a suggestion, but giving a commandment for us to be aware of our surroundings and always looking for a way of escape if necessary. Eyes darting to and fro to make sure no adversary or enemy is sneaking up upon us. When you really consider what Yeshua is saying in this text, we have to understand that He was telling His disciples, as well as you and I today, that we are to go into a world filled with wolves and preach to them with hope that they might become sheep. When read in this context, we understand a little more of Yeshua’s words in Matthew 5:44:

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

The truth is that all those who have not been born again serve a different King and are truly enemies of the Cross. Just think about these words of a written warning in Philippians 3:18-20:

“(For many walk who are enemies of the cross of Messiah—I have often told you about them, and now I am even weeping as I tell you. Their end is destruction—their god is their belly and their glory is in their shame. They set their minds on earthly things.) For our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.”

Yeshua spoke strong words concerning the status of those who have their minds set on earthly things. He fully knew the danger believers would encounter when walking among the wolves. So much so that He commanded us to be as wise as serpents. But His admonition doesn’t end with us being wise as serpents. 

Yeshua went on to say for us to be as innocent as doves. In other words we should be aware of the dangers, be watchful of the wolves, and at the same time we aren’t allowed to bite the wolves much less act venomously towards them. We must be sheep among wolves. We will encounter enemies. We must be vigilant of our reality and not ever forget that the world is filled with wolves. But we should love our enemies, not bite them. We can’t let our guard down by forgetting that we will be surrounded by wolves, but that some of those wolves will come in sheep’s clothing.

But our love for those wolves should be so strong that no matter how much they attack us, we remain wise as serpents, but innocent as doves. Never, never, never are we to act like serpents. We are to be doves who are as wise as serpents. Because a wolf killed by a serpent cannot hear the good news. 

So, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves by loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you. Which reminds me of another dove named Jonah (Jonah means dove) who had to learn how to love his enemies also.