Matthew 10:16-23

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Introduction

Persecution Will Come

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

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If you’ll recall, Jesus’ earlier words to his disciples were simply to go. He had commissioned them, given them their marching orders as it were to go to the lost sheep of Israel proclaiming the kingdom of heaven, and as they went, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and casting out demons. They were to emulate Jesus by teaching what he taught and doing what did. And this begins begins as sort of a training mission for them that they’ll later be commanded to carry out even after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Briefing

This week we see here in verses 16-23 Jesus continuing to instruct his disciples before they go, and he says to them there in verse 16,

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

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So before they go Jesus wants them to understand what they should expect on their mission. He’s already told them that there will be some who will not receive them, that there will be some people who will not listen to their words, but more than that, they will even encounter fierce resistance to their proclamation. In fact, the resistance will be so fierce that it’ll be analogous, or comparable, to that of sheep being in the midst of wolves. The disciples will be like sheep and those who oppose them will be wolves.
Now we’re all familiar with the relationship between wolves and sheep. Wolves are predators and sheep are prey, wolves eat sheep. Jesus even uses this same language back in his Sermon on the Mount when he said to his disciples,
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15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Now, Jesus’ point to his disciples here is simply this, danger. Jesus’ disciples should expect their mission to be dangerous. Which highlights what I believe is Jesus’ primary aim here in this text. Jesus intends for his disciples to not be ignorant, or caught unaware, of the danger that will accompany their mission to proclaim the gospel.
We do this sort thing all of the time, especially as parents. Before we send our children out on their own be often sit them down and brief them on what they should expect and not expect. We tell them to not talk to anyone they don’t know, or to look both ways before they cross the street. We want them to be prepared with what to expect before they go do whatever it is we’re instructing them to do. In much of the same way Jesus will take the rest of chapter 10 to brief his disciples with what to expect as they journey from town to town proclaiming the gospel.

Expect Persecution

In short, they should expect persecution, and so should we. That’s the application intended for us here today. While this text begins with Jesus’ twelve disciples as the immediate audience, that scope quickly widens in verses 17-18, we read there,

17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

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All of a sudden Jesus isn’t just talking about his disciple’s short-term mission trip. He starts talking about synagogue rules, governors and kings, and even goes further to tell them that they’ll bear witness to even the Gentiles.
The point though is that while this text, on the outset, is immediately concerned with Jesus’ twelve disciples, Jesus then begins to seemingly expand who it is he’s talking about. What he’s saying, starting there in verse 16, and even to the end of the chapter, is that what I’m telling you will be applicable to all of my disciples that will follow in the generations to come. The persecution that Jesus warns his disciples of is a warning also for us. As Jesus’ modern day disciples we too should expect persecution in our proclamation of the Gospel just as much as those early disciples.
What he’s saying starting here in verse 16, and even to the end of the chapter, is that what I’m telling you will be applicable to all of his disciples that will following in the generations to come. What Jesus warns his disciples of here, he warns us of here today.
In fact, in Paul’s second letter to his protege, Timothy, he says this,

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

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So what’s emphatically important for us, as Christians, to understand is that persecution is normative for the Christian life, and this can be difficult for us modern day Westerners to grapple with. Now, it isn’t that we go looking for it, but that we should expect it. We should not be caught off guard by persecution when it comes. Whether it’s a person’s dismissive word, or the loss of one’s job, or like Paul, stoned for proclaiming the kingdom, it’s normative for the Christian to expect suffering.
After Paul had been stoned in Acts 14 we’re told that as he traveled to several other cities to strengthen the disciples there, that he told them,

that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

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Peter when writing to encourage the church in their suffering from the escalating persecution of the Roman empire similarly wrote this,

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

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Persecution is part and parcel to the Christian life, and Jesus doesn’t want us to be caught unaware of that reality, he cares for his disciples. It’s one of the many things that I love about Jesus, that he’s upfront about what it’ll mean for us to follow him. It’s why he tells the crowds in Luke’s Gospel to count the cost before following him. He doesn’t spring anything on us after we’ve committed our lives to him like some kind of dishonest salesman. He offers us the good news of the Gospel, the forgiveness of sin through his work on the cross, but tells us that while the reward of eternal life far surpasses anything we could ever hope for, that it’ll cost us our lives, that we’ll have to lose our lives to gain eternal life, which includes among other things, persecution. There’s a cost associated with following Jesus, but it’s worth it.

Therefore be wise and innocent

Now, there’s a second overarching purpose that I believe Jesus intends for his disciples, and by extension us, to understand, and it’s directly related to the first. Listen to verse 16 again,
Now, there’s a second overarching purpose that I believe Jesus intends for his disciples, and by extension us, to understand, and it’s directly related to the first. When Jesus
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16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

are the two overarching purposes behind what Jesus says here. The first is that Jesus intends for his disciples to not ignorant of the danger that will accompany their mission to proclaim the gospel, and the second is
He says, “[therefore] be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Know that proclaiming the Gospel will bring persecution, therefore be wise and be blameless. Now what does he mean by this somewhat strange analogy? Wise as serpents? Innocent as doves? Aren’t snakes bad biblically speaking?

Wise as serpents

Now, in many respects, we rightly associate serpents with the evil actions of Satan, in fact, it’s how he appeared to Eve in the Garden. The Bible also describes Satan as a large serpent, or even a dragon. So in many respects there’s good reason to associate serpents with the works of the devil. However, there are qualities that are typically associated with snakes that aren’t necessarily evil by nature. For instance, we read in that,

the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

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The word translated ‘crafty’ can also be translated ‘shrewd’, ‘cunning’, ‘discerning’ and even ‘prudent’. Hence Jesus’ connection here in Matthew that his disciples should be as ‘wise’ as a serpent. However, it’s obvious that Jesus doesn’t mean for his disciples to use their faculties of discernment for malicious intent, instead he means for them to be wise when amidst wolves, understanding that they’re constantly in danger.
One example that I think is helpful is that of Paul in . He arrives in Thessalonica and begins reasoning with those in the local synagogue, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying to them that “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And while Paul is proclaiming the gospel to these men and it doesn’t take long for some of them to become quite angry with him, so much so that they stir up a mob against him and accuse him of exalting Jesus as king over Caesar.
Luckily for Paul, a man by the name of Jason calms them down by giving the local authorities money as a guarantee that they won’t cause anymore trouble, and immediately some of the Christian brothers take the opportunity to get Paul out of there during the cover of darkness. These disciples were acting wisely, they were being as wise as serpents. This is what Jesus means here in verse 16.

Innocent as doves

And not only are they to be wise, they’re to be as innocent as a dove. They’re to be as cunning as a snake, but without the malice. They’re to be as harmless as a dove, they’re to be blameless in their conduct, even amidst wolves. Not repaying any evil done to them with evil, and in a certain sense they’re to be like Jesus, who was like a lamb who was led to the slaughter. ()
Peter emphasizes this same blamelessness amidst persecution and suffering in his letter to the church when he says,

9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

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and

even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Now remember this is the same Peter who was there in Matthew chapter 10. He was there listening to his Lord’s words and here we find him many years later explaining these very same things to the church all around the known world. This is how we are to behave as Christians, as Jesus’ disciples. In the face of persecution and suffering we are to be as wise as serpents yet as innocent as doves.

Comfort

Now, from this point on in our text Jesus gives the twelve further examples of how this persecution might play out for them, as well as his disciples in the generations to come. He also gives them comfort which is what I want to conclude with here today. Starting in verse 19 we read,

19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

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Jesus tells us that we’re not to worry about what we’re to say, that when we’re dragged before all kinds of authorities that his Holy Spirit will be with us and that he will speak through us. This doesn’t mean we are absolved of the responsibility to do whatever we can within our power to prepare for such circumstances, in fact, Peter just told us that we should always be prepared to make a defense. But Jesus’ point is that we should be comforted in knowing that God is with us in these situations, no matter how small, and no matter how ill-equipped we may feel, that what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

Hated for my names sake

Jesus goes on in verse 21,

21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The one thing about Jesus that’s so readily apparent over and over is that he doesn’t pull any punches, he’s a straight shooter. He is completely forthcoming with his disciples, that their persecution will come, even within their own families, because

the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

And that light is Jesus, we will be persecuted because of the world’s hatred for Jesus, we will be hated for his name’s sake. And he tells us that even family members will rise up against other family members because of their hatred for Christ. And it’s why Jesus says in that,

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

In order to be Jesus’ disciple we must love him more than anything, more than family and even life itself. It’s a sobering thought for many of us, that our allegiance to Jesus ought to run deeper than our love for even our own family. Is Jesus that valuable to you?

It hated me first, and I have overcome the world

When I read this text I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in , when he says to his disciples,

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

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and when he finishes his conversation with them in he says this,

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

And because he has overcome the world we will endure to the end, we will be saved.

Prayer

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