COMMITMENT: WISE BUT HARMLESS

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

Matthew 10:16

Every believer knows that Jesus called all Christians to be His witnesses. We are to proclaim the Gospel each time the opportunity knocks. In other words, we already know what to do, but the question is, "Do we know how to do it?"

In Matthew 10, Jesus sends His disciples to preach the Kingdom of God to the people of the region of Galilee. This event officially made them His "Apostles," meaning, "the sent ones." Jesus gave them a heads-up concerning the people's responses to the Gospel, but they were not encouraging. Using similes (figures of speech that compare two unlike things), Jesus describes how His disciples should behave in their ministry.

In comparison to their audience, the disciples will be like sheep among wolves. Elsewhere, Jesus likens false prophets as "wolves" (Matthew 7:15), which speaks of their predatory nature. The disciples need to be as wise as snakes and as gentle as doves. The idea is that they should be wise in avoiding danger but harmless in not putting others at risk.

It is no wonder why Jesus gave them a sneak peek of what evangelism would be. The world, in general, is hostile toward God and His people. We have seen it during the time of Noah, Moses, and the rest of the Old Testament prophets. We have seen it in the lives of the Apostles and their associates. Sadly, the backdrop hasn't changed much. Unbelievers are still aggressive and pugnacious to missionaries and witnesses.

Preaching the Gospel, unlike how it is popularly known today, is a serious undertaking. Naturally, people do not want to be reminded of their sinful nature. But you cannot eliminate the element of sin in your presentation of the Gospel. 

They also do not like the idea of submission, but yielding to the Lordship of Jesus is vital to the Christian life. Truth be told, to preach the Gospel in its entirety invites conflict. But that shouldn't stop us from fulfilling our God-given task. Using this verse as a guide on how to behave in front of unbelievers, we can strike a balance between being faithful to the Gospel and not being predatory or gullible.

It's easy for us to avoid sharing the Gospel, especially with complicated and contentious people, because we do not want to get into an argument. But such fear shows a lack of compassion. God doesn't enjoy sending people to hell, including the defiant. If we do not take the courage to talk to them about the hope found in Christ, who would?

Pursue the Saviour today!