As Sheep Among Wolves

I have entitled our message today, “As Sheep Among Wolves.” The title is based on the very first verse of our passage, where Jesus told His followers, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” (v. 16). Now, I am going to go ahead and start with an exposition. The word sheep (probaton)(1) comes from a base word (probaino) that means to walk forward and advance.(2) The word wolf (lukos)(3) comes from a base word (leukos) used of brilliant white clothing, that is meant to portray innocence.(4) Of course, wolves are far from being innocent. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus declared, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” His disciples were being sent out among those pretending to be holy; false religious leaders who would turn on them in a blink.

Being called sheep, the disciples might seem to be helpless, but as the base word (probaino) implies, they are able to “move ahead” and “advance” their mission in the face of opposition. Commentator Charles Spurgeon, known as the Prince of Preachers, has this to say about the passage: “Here, you see sheep sent forth among the wolves, as if they were the attacking party, and were bent upon putting down their terrible enemies . . . We see in the natural world that the sheep, though so feeble, by far outnumber the wolves who are so fierce.”(5) In our passage today, we will see that Jesus gives His followers advice on how to respond, and even reply, in the face of persecution. He also assures them that they will be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish their mission.

Both Shrewd and Innocent (v. 16)

16 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Allow me to share an illustration that might help us to understand the behavior Jesus recommends. At my first pastorate, our church financially supported missionaries based in a Muslim country where Christians were persecuted and killed. Two of our church members went there on a short-term mission trip, and the host pastor taught them how they should answer the local police when stopped at a roadblock. He elaborated that when asked, “Are you a Christian?” he would reply with, “What do you think?” They would ask him yet again, and he would respond with a similar question: “Who do you say I am?” This host pastor explained that when he replied in this manner, the guards would grow weary of interrogating them, and let them pass through the roadblock unharmed.

He stated that this technique was used by Jesus. For example, Matthew 27:11 tells us, “Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ So, Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say’.” In other words, “I am whatever you say I am, or think I am.” Whenever confronted by a question intended as a trap, Jesus would reply with a question of His own. We see this technique in Matthew chapter 22, where the Pharisees thought they could trick Jesus. They asked Him a question, and Jesus replied, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42). They were so confused about how to answer, we read that “no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore” (v. 46).

So, let us look at verse 16. Commentators John Gill and Adam Clarke both mention that this was a proverbial saying among Israel. Gill tells us that Rabbi Judah stated concerning Israel, “With me they are harmless as doves; but among the nations of the world, they are subtle as serpents.”(6) In case you are curious, Rabbi Judah was the son of Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel,(7) and grandson of Gamaliel the Edler who appears in Acts 5:34.(8) Clarke quotes the Shir HaShririm Rabba, as saying, “The holy blessed God said to the Israelites, ‘Ye shall be towards me as upright as the doves; but, towards the Gentiles, as cunning as serpents’.”(9) The Shir HaShririm Rabba was a seventh-century Midrash, which was an ancient Jewish commentary.(10)

So, what does it mean to be “wise as serpents?” The word “wise” (fronimoi), in verse 16, simply means “prudent.” The serpent is seen as being prudent to excess and full of cunning.(11) Consider for a moment several facts from snake experts. Snakes are professionals at escaping. Their most common form of self-protection is avoidance. A snake’s first line of defense is to escape to safety among rocks or vegetation. This means that snakes must be alert to dangers. They are not aggressive and they do not want to attack people. Snakes will bite only in self-defense; and they would rather just leave people alone.(12)