LIKE SHEEP AMONG WOLVES

Mt 10:16-23

Like a coach to his team, before a game, Jesus gives a preparation talk to His disciples before sending them out to proclaim the good news. He discusses with them the problems of persecution and betrayal while caring on the mission. If understood with human fillings, this is a horrible speech Jesus is pronouncing. He says: “Behold I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves.” What motivation can this give to the disciples? It is as if Jesus scares them before the mission; he is not preparing them at all. But this is not what Jesus is giving as message. His point is not to scare his disciples, but to stress the importance of the word of God; the importance of preaching; the importance of the missionary work. And he is saying “be ready to endure whatever suffering you will meet in your mission; you have to cope with all the difficulties and make sure the word of God is preached.” That is his. It means, even if persecution is a reality, this should not scare you; this should not discourage you; this should not frighten you; this should not prevent you. Remain focused on the word.

Persecution is a reality even today. People still experience the danger of being Christians; Christians are hunted by some political authorities. Others are persecuted by different religious institutions. Still others are ridiculed by their families. Today, Jesus does not hide that in following Him this would bring many trials and challenges. Today we are faced with challenges from religious pluralism, religious relativism, religious indifference and secular domination. But the gospel gives us three characteristics in order to be able to face these challenges:

First, Jesus asks us to be shrewd as serpents. In other words, the disciple of Christ must be smart, and creative in preaching the word. Second, He asks us to be as simple as doves. In other words, with all the intelligence and cleverness of a serpent, the disciple should maintain his simple and humble heart. To be both shrewd and simple is not a contradiction but rather it makes a truly effective and fruitful apostle. Third, Jesus asks us not to be worried about what we are to speak because it “will not be us who speak but the Spirit of our Father speaking through us.” This is easy and possible for the disciple if he is aware that he is simply an instrument. God is always the protagonist! If we have that in mind, it will be easy to trust in the Spirit.

Christian life is the experience of being thrown like a sheep in the midst of frightening wolves. We struggle, we fight, and we should not give because the wolves do not have masters, the sheep has. And if the sheep trusts the Shepherd then it conquers the wolves. God asks us to endure because our Shepherd who has conquered suffering and death wants to show through us another victory over persecution. Every time therefore that we courageously suffer, we simply affirm that God is above all suffering. And then we discover too that suffering is not something to be afraid once we are with the One who conquered it.