WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WISE AS SERPENT AND HARMLESS AS DOVES

Question: "What does it mean to be wise as serpent and harmless as doves

(Matthew10:16)?

Answer: In sending out the twelve, Jesus said to them, "Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" 

(Matthew 10:16kJV). The NIV  says," shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves."

Jesus was using similes (Figure of speech that compare two unlike things) to instruct His disciples in to behave in their Ministry. Just before he tells then to be wise as serpent and harmless as doves, He wants them that they were being sent out like sheep among wolves."

The world, when as now, was hostile to believers not incidentally hostile, but purposefully hostile. Wolves are intentional about the harm they inflict upon sheep. In such an environment the question becomes. "How can we advance the kingdom of God effectively without becoming predetory ourselves?

Jesus taught His followers that, to be  christlike in a godless world, they must combine the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the doves. 

In using these similes, Jesus invokes the common proverbial view of serpent and doves. The serpent was "subtle or. "craftly" or shrewd.

In Genesis 3:1 the doves, on the other hand, was thought of as innocent and harmless doves were listed among the  "clean animals" and were day, doves are used as symbol of peace and snakes are thought of as sneaky."

Nineteenth-century Pastor charles Simeon provides a wonderful comments on the serpent and doves imagery. "now the wisdom of the one and the harmlessness of the other are very desirable to be combined in the Christians character, because it is by such an union only that the christian will be enabled to cope successfully with his more powerful enemies" (Horea Homileticae, Matthew, vol. 11, London Holdsworth and Ball, p318).

Most people don't mind having their character compared to a doves purity and innocence. But some people recoil at the image of a serpent no matter what the context. They can hear see a snake in a good light, even when used by Jesus as a teaching tool. But we should not make too much of the simile. We cannot attach the evil action of Satan (as a serpent) with the serpent itself. Animal are not moral entities. The creatures itself cannot perform sin, and shrewdness is an asset, not a defect. This is the quality that Jesus told His disciple to model. The serpent simile stands in Jesus dialogue without bringing forward only of the serpent pejoratives. It is a basic understanding in language that, when a speaker creates a similes, he is not necessarily invoking the entire potential of the words he has chosen-nor is he invoking the entire history and tenor of the linguistic vehicle. Rather, the speaker is defining a flesh relationship between the two things. A quick look at Matthew 10:16 show that Jesus was invoking only the positive aspect of the serpent. There is no hint of his unloading Edenic baggages upon His disciples. He simply tells them to be wise (and innocent) us they represented Him. When Jesus told the twelves to be as wise as serpent and harmless as doves He laid down the general principle about the technique of kingdom work. As we take the gospel to a hostile world, we must be wise avoiding the snares set for us), we must be innocent (serving the Lord blamelessly). Jesus was not suggesting that we stoop to deception, But that we should model some of the serpent famous shrewdness in apositive way. Wisdom does not equal dishonesty, and innocence does not equal quilliblity.

Let us consider Jesus as exemplar the Lord was known as gentle person. Indeed, scripture testifies that He would not even quench a smoking flax (Matthew12:20). But was He always and only) gentle? No. When the ocassion demanded it, He took him in hand and chased the moneychangers out of the temple (John 2:15).

Jesus extraordinarily rare action, seen in light of His usual mien, demonstrates the power of using a combination of tools. This "dove-like" man of innocence spoke loudly and clearly with Hus assertiveness in the temples.

In  His more typical moment, Jesus showed that He was as wise as a serpent in the way He taught. He knew enough to discern the difference in His audiences (a critical skill), He used the story telling technique to both feed and weed (Matthew 13:10-13). And He refused to be caught in the many trap that His enemies laid for Him (Mark 8:11; 10:2,12:13).

Jesus showed that He was a harmless as a dove in every circumstances. He lived a pure and Holy life (Hebrew 4:15). He acted in compassion (Matthew 9:36). And He challenged anyone to find fault in Him. 

(John 8:46; 18:23). Three times pilated judged Jesus to be an innocent man. (John 18:38; 19:4,6).

The apostle Paul also modeled the "wise as serpent, harmless as doves" technique. Paul lived in dove-like innocence in good conscience before God (Acts 23:1). Learned to deny his canal desires so as not to jeopardize his ministry (1 Corinthians 9:27). But Paul also displayed serpent lije shrewdness when he needed it. He knews his legal rights and used the legal system to his advantages. (Acts 16:37; 22:25; 25:11). He also carefully crafted his speeches to maximize the impact on his audience (Acts 17:22-23,23:6-8).

In Matthew 10:16 Jesus taught us how to optimize our gospel spreading opportunities. Successful Christian living requires that we strike the optimal balance between the doves and serpent.

We should strive to gentle without being pushovers, and we must  be sacrificial  without tactics used by the enemy, but we take the high road. Peter admonishes us, "Live such good live among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visit us" (Peter 2:12).