Matthew 10:16-23

Introduction

The Boxer Muhammad Ali Had Many a Famous Quotes

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it.”

“I’ve wrestled with alligators, I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning And throw thunder in jail. You know I’m bad. just last week, I murdered a rock, Injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.”

“It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”

“It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.”

Probably His Most Popular is: “Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee”

The Rest of the Quote is, “The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see.”

What Did He Mean?

He Could Dance Around His Opponents, Dodging Punches Left and Right Like a Butterfly

But He Could Also Land Stinging Punches On His Opponents Like a Bee

This Memorable Quote Described His Character as a Boxer

Mr. Ali was Not a Christian By Any Stretch of the Imagination

But His Quote Sure Does Sound Similar to Something Jesus Said to His Disciples

“Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves.”

Jesus’ Memorable Quote Describes the Character of His Followers

This Quote Can Be Found in the Text We are Studying This Morning

Matthew 10:16-23

Last Week, We Began Jesus’ 2nd Major Teaching Discourse in Matthew’s Account

Jesus is Sending Out 12 of His Disciples to Multiply His Ministry to the Lost Sheep of Israel

He Tells Them to Proclaim and Demonstrate the Message of the Kingdom

He Told Them Not to Take Extra Supplies With Them…

Because Those Who They Minister to Will Supply Their Needs

Those Who Don’t Show Hospitality to Them or Accept the Gospel…

Are to Be Departed From

Now Jesus is Not Going to Mince Words with His Apostles

Participating in His Kingdom Ministry is Going to Bring Hardship

Jesus is Going to Spend the Rest of His Discourse Explaining These Hardships…

And How His Disciples are to React to Those Hardships

Matthew 10:16 (NASB95)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.

Jesus Sends Out His Ministers as Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

Sheep are Gentle and Defenseless

They Completely Depend on Their Shepherd

Wolves are Powerful and Violent Creatures Who Attack and Devour Sheep

Jesus Calls His People to Be Gentle and Non-Violent

And He Doesn’t Beat Around the Bush in Telling Us that His Ministry Leads Us to the Wolves Den

We are Constantly in Danger in this Hostile and Violent World

If Jesus Were to Stop There, His Ministry Would Sound Like a Suicide Mission

But He Goes On to Say, “So/Therefore”

“Since I’m Sending You Out at Sheep in the Midst of Wolves…”

“Be Shrewd/Wise/Thoughtful as Serpents”

Or How We Might Say it Today, “Have Some Common Sense”

From the Very Beginning, We Read:

Genesis 3:1 (NASB95)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

“Crafty” = the Same Word in the Greek OT as “Shrewd” in Our Text

Snakes Have Always Been Wise, Strategic Creatures

Making Careful Decisions When Attacking Their Prey so as Not to Be Harmed Themselves

But, Alongside Their Wisdom is Their Violent, Predatory Nature

Matthew 10:16 (NASB95)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.

That’s Why Jesus Tells His Disciples to Be Wise Like Serpents…

But Innocent/Pure Like Doves

In the Ring, Ali Looked Like a Butterfly, But He Would Sting You Like a Bee

In the World, Christians are Sheep in a Den Filled with Wolves

Therefore, We Need to Be as Wise, Careful, and Strategic as Serpents…

But with the Innocence and Harmlessness of a Dove

Paul Wrote a Very Similar Statement to the Roman Christians

Romans 16:19 (NASB95)

For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

I Like That!

Be Wise in What is Good and Innocent in What is Evil

This Advice From Jesus and Paul is to Help Us Faithfully Survive the Harsh Persecutions of the World

Matthew 10:17–18 (NASB95)

“But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.”

“Beware of Men/People” is Very Broad, But it’s Meant to Be

All Types of People are Going to Persecute and Betray Jesus’ Disciples

They’ll Be Handed Over to Courts to Stand Trial

They’ll Be Scourged/Whipped in the Jewish Synagogues

They’ll Even Be Brought Before Governors and Kings (Both Jew and Gentile)

Though Their Mission is Only to the Jews Now…

They Will One Day Minister to Gentiles as Well

The Most Interesting Phrase in this Passage is “for My Sake, as a Testimony to Them”

Because of Their Association with and Obedience to Jesus…

They Will Be Persecuted, Suffer, and Delivered to Courts, Punishments, and Authorities

But Jesus Said Their Persecution and Suffering Would Serve a Purpose

This Would Be an Opportunity to Be a “Witness” to Them

To Tell the Things They’ve Seen and Heard

To Proclaim the Message of the Kingdom (The Gospel)

We’ll Talk More About All that in a Moment

Matthew 10:19–20 (NASB95)

“But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

When They are Handed Over, They Don’t Have to Worry About How/What They Should Say

That Would Be a Great Temptation

That IS a Great Temptation for Most of Us

“When an Opportunity Arises to Proclaim the Kingdom…”

“What Should I Say?”

Jesus Assured the Apostles that They Shouldn’t Worry About Such Things

The Holy Spirit (Spirit of Your Father) Would Give Them the Words to Speak

In a Different Context, Luke Quotes Jesus Telling His Disciples the Same Thing in a Slightly Different Way

Luke 21:12–15 (NASB95)

“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.”

They Didn’t Need to Worry About Defending Themselves

They Didn’t Need to Prepare What to Say Beforehand

Jesus Through the Spirit Would Give Them the Words and Wisdom They Needed

And Those Who Opposed Them Would Not Be Able to Resist or Refute

We Don’t Have Time to Go in Depth on What This Means for Us Today…

But I’ll Simply Say this:

I Don’t Believe We Have Today What the Apostles and Early Christians Had Then

I Spent Many Hours Studying and Preparing for this Lesson

But I Do Believe the Spirit Can and Will Help Us Today in Many Ways

Just Not to the Grand Extent that He Helped the Early, Infant Church

Matthew 10:21–22 (NASB95)

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Not Only Would Hostility Come From Religious and Civil Authorities…

But Also From One’s Own Family

In a Culture Where Family Loyalty was Essential…

These Words From Jesus Would Have Sounded Unbelievable

Family Members Betraying Each Other to Death

The Family Structure Would Be Broken Over Hatred of Jesus and His Kingdom

This is a Sad Reality that Continues On in Our World Today

This Demanded and Still Demands an Unbelievable Allegiance to Jesus

To Be Continually Hated By All Kinds of People (Including Your Own Family)

But Jesus Promises Us it Will Be Worth it

The One Who Endures to the End Will Be Saved

Endures to the End of What?

Until the End of the Persecution?

Until the End of Your Life?

Until the End of the Age When Jesus Returns?

The Answer is “Yes”

As Followers of Jesus, We Endure it All Because We Know Our King Will Rescue Us

Matthew 10:23 (NASB95)

“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

There’s Nothing Wrong with Fleeing Persecution

In Fact, Jesus Commands it

Their Immediate Mission was to Go City to City to Proclaim and Demonstrate the Kingdom to the People of Israel

Whenever a City Rejected the Message and Sought to Persecute Them…

They Were to Flee to the Next

This was to Save Their Lives

But it was Also to Reach More People

“If a City is Unresponsive to the Gospel and Seeking to Harm You…”

“Don’t Waste Any More of Your Time with Them, Move On…”

There’s People in the Next City Who Also Need the Gospel

This Can Be a Hard Lesson for Us to Learn

That Sometimes (Maybe Many Times), It’s Best to Move On

Jesus Told Them They Would Not Finish/Complete the Cities of Israel…

Until the Son of Man Comes

What is He Talking About?

Many Scholars Agree that this is One of the Hardest Verses in Matthew to Interpret

I’ve Found 4 Reasonable Options for Understanding this:

Jesus Coming to His Disciples When They Return From Their Ministry

Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension to the Father (Works with Daniel 7)

The Second Coming of Jesus at the End of the age.

The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

This Last Interpretation is the One I Tend to Hold to

But That’s a Deeper Subject Than We Have Time for

We Can Study That Together Some Other Time

Application

Passage Summary:

Ministers in Jesus’ Kingdom are to Be Wise But Harmless in a World Full of Violence

We Will Be Persecuted and Caused to Suffer

When Possible, it’s Okay to Flee Persecution and Suffering

But When it is Impossible, God Allows Us to Experience it for His Glory

Persecution is an Opportunity to Proclaim the Kingdom Message

And God Will Help Us in Our Spreading the Gospel in Such Circumstances

Peter Wrote to Christians Who Were Suffering Persecution and He Said:

1 Peter 3:13–16 (ESV)

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 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, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

People Don’t Typically Attack Those Who are Loving, Kind, Gentle, Patient, and Good

But it Has and Will Continue to Happen

When it Does, Here’s How We are to Respond:

Don’t Be Intimidated or Afraid

Dedicate Christ as Our Lord/Master in Our Hearts

Always Be Prepared to Give an Explanation for the Hope that We Have

Give that Explanation with Gentleness/Humility and Respect

To Jesus, Persecution Isn’t All Bad

It Presents an Opportunity for People to Know Jesus and His Good News

But There are Some Questions We Need to Ask Ourselves:

Have We Dedicated Him as Our Lord/Master in Our Hearts?

Do You Live Everyday with the Acknowledgement that You are a Servant of Jesus?

Are We Living in Such a Way that People Can Tell We Have a Hope They Don’t?

Can People Tell You are Different By the Way You Behave and Carry Yourself?

Are We Prepared to Give an Explanation of Our Hope?

If We’ve Been a Christian for Some Time and We Can’t Explain Why…

That is a Problem on the Verge of Being Sinful

Because it Shows You Have Not Dedicated Your Heart to Lord Jesus

Are We Able to Do So in a Gentle and Respectful Way?

I Know Many People Who are Able to Explain Why They Have Hope in Jesus…

But They Do it in the Most Unloving, Harsh, and Disrespectful Way

As Christians, Our Answers to These Questions Must Be “Yes”

It is Crucial to Our Kingdom Ministry