Sheep, Serpents, Doves, and Sparrows: Matthew 10:16-33 (Sermon)
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you, worship team. Last week pastor Mike shared with us about Matthew chapter 10, verses 1 through 15. He said the main idea was:
Do God’s Work
By God’s Power
Through God’s Ways
In chapter 10, Jesus commissioned his disciples to do the work he was doing. “Going and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.” He gave them his authority to cast out demons, heal every disease and affliction, and even raise the dead! Can you imagine that? They saw Jesus calm a storm with a word, heal by touch, and the masses followed. Now, they would receive his power to do things like him. How do you think that felt? How would you feel?
BASEBALL SEASON - Batting
We are in baseball season. I grew up watching Nolan Ryan throwing 100-mile-an-hour fastballs.
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If you ever had a car wiz by you at 50 miles an hour, think of a ball flying twice that speed by your face. What if the coach put you at the plate as the designated hitter? What if it was two outs, two strikes, and the go-ahead run was on third? You are up to bat. No pressure. The weight of the game weighs on your shoulders. How would you feel?
Pitching
Or, what if you were a pitcher and the superstar was pulled? You had to close the game. The pressure is on. There are two outs, three balls, two strikes (full count), and the tying run on third. One pitch is all you need to get the win and finish the game. That is all your fans and team want. Everyone is standing. The coach says, “You got this.” You have a job to do. You have the ability. You have a commission and calling. This is your work. But what if it wasn’t any old batter you faced in the lineup but the Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, the Caliph of Clout, none other than Babe Ruth?
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How would you feel? Perhaps you would be anxious to face such an adversary. A little fear is normal.
COMMISSION
These feelings parallel the disciples’ emotions. Jesus told them that they would face opposition unlike they had ever seen. How should they respond? How should we respond when we are doing God’s work, by God’s power, through God’s ways, and facing opposition? Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10, verses 16 to 33, if you have one near you. I am going to have L.T. and T.T. read for us. In honor of God’s Word, please stand with me.
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 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. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 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.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:16–33, ESV)
PRAYER
Thank you. Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for your Word. It is a light to guide our way. Open our eyes to see you anew this morning. Open our hearts to love you more. Open our minds to understand you better. We need you. Please help us as we seek you, amen. You may be seated.
REVIEW
Matthew tells us that Jesus is the King God promised long ago. He came to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:23). After an obscure thirty years of life, Jesus appeared at the river Jordan. His relative, John, baptized him. The Holy Spirit descended upon him, and God the Father called from heaven, blessing him. The Spirit then led him into no man’s land. There, he fasted forty days. In the end, the devil tempted him. Jesus survived this attack and called fishermen, tax collector, and zealots to follow him. They obeyed and watched and heard him teaching and performing miracles. The kingdom of God was on the move. In chapters 8 through 9, we read Jesus’s miracles and instructions to his followers. In chapter 10, we read of a commission to his twelve disciples to go and proclaim in Israel what Jesus proclaimed and do the works he did. They were to spread the word that the king was here and the kingdom was close at hand. The overall message of Matthew is to follow the promised king into his kingdom.
STRUCTURE AND MAIN IDEA AND INTENDED RESPONSE
In our passage this morning, there are two parts and four images:
Verses 16 through 25 - Jesus cautioned his sheep to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves amidst hostility.
Verses 26 through 33 - Jesus encouraged these same sheep to fear God who cares for sparrows.
What was the point? Jesus was sending his disciples into a dangerous world with a mission. He told them: As they go out and witness what they have seen and heard, be wise, innocent, and trust God. Matthew included these words because they inform and encourage. Here is the point:
When as sheep you witness,
Be wise as serpents,
Innocent as doves,
And fear God who cares for sparrows.
Let us go back through the Scriptures to see this.
SHEEP
Point number 1:
When as sheep you witness,
Take a look at Matthew chapter 10, verse 16. What does it say?
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16, ESV).
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Why did Jesus send sheep when wolves were out and about? Think of a fluffy white sheep. They are cute. The Wisners have some. They keep them in a pen. They would not put them to pasture with wolves prowling, let alone coyotes. Why would Jesus subject his friends to peril? He was not a sadist, fool, or crazy. Instead, he sought to communicate the truth of the good news of the kingdom far and wide, and there were inherent risks in a world of sin. He had told them that Israel’s lost sheep were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus was and is the good shepherd. Unlike the religious leaders of the day, he cares for his sheep, who care more about themselves than their followers. They were the wolves in sheep’s clothing. They were hypocrites taking advantage of people and seeking Jesus’s demise. Jesus knew that the other sheep not of his fold would not see the truth unless someone went and told them about him. Therefore he sent out his followers. They were to be salt and light in a dark and bland world. These wolves would not like that. They didn’t like Jesus. They would like his followers. Thus, Jesus was warning his sheep that he was sending them amid people who would seek to harm them.
BOLDNESS
He went on to say:
“So be wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16, ESV).
Point number 2:
When as sheep you witness,
Be wise as serpents,
Jesus wanted his people to be like snakes. Why?
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The snake doesn’t have good connotations. If someone called you a snake, that would be bad. It would be on the level of calling you a liar. The Bible doesn’t speak well of snakes. Genesis tells us that the serpent was more crafty than any other animal (Genesis 3:1). Then, it details how the snake deceived Eve. Yet, Jesus wanted his followers to be like snakes. In what way? In their wisdom. Serpents are smart. Jesus was sending his disciples out to share their faith, and they would need wits. Matthew’s readers knew the rest of the story and likely experienced the persecution Jesus predicted. By the end of the book, the leadership of Israel killed Jesus. They certainly would treat his followers no differently.
AMERICA
In our country, we enjoy freedom. If you doubt what I am saying, travel internationally and compare. At the same time, the freedoms we enjoy today won’t necessarily continue. Down the road, you might lose standing, jobs, or friends for your faith. We should not be surprised. Jesus’s warning here is not a call to arms. This was not a manifesto for violence or political upheaval. Instead, he wanted them to be wise, not foolish.
INNOCENTLY
This brings us to point number 3:
When as sheep you witness,
Be wise as serpents,
Innocent as doves,
The following image Jesus used was a dove. He said they should be wise as serpents,
“And innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16, ESV).
People sacrificed doves to God in worship. In chapter 3 of Matthew, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. Doves were innocent. Jesus wanted his followers to be like doves. That makes me ask, “Am I?” Am I innocent in how I think and act and speak? In the Sermon on the Mount, God wants us to hunger and thirst for right and just living. He wants us to be good. Am I? Let me ask us all, “Are we?” How are we behaving at work, school, and home? We have a calling to walk in Jesus’s steps. We are to be little mirrors of him, ambassadors of his kingdom. Some will appreciate it, and others will take advantage of it. Some will thank us, and others will complain. Jesus knew that. The cost is worth it. We are sheep among wolves. Sin abounds. Jesus taught that if people mock or harm, keep the faith. Last week, Mike pointed out that Jesus told his disciples to wipe the dust off their feet, move on, and let God be the judge. In our passage, Jesus instructed his disciples to flee. Look at verse 23.
“When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next” (Matthew 10:23, ESV).
Flight is okay at times. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
AUDIENCE
I don’t think this is for the immediate commissioning because of the severity of the persecution. When they went out, certainly not everyone would receive them well. Some would probably label them followers of Beelzebul or Satan as they did Jesus. However, I don’t think they would go to kings or governors or be handed over to death for their faith during this first commissioning. The twelve disciples would survive. This passage has important encouragement for his twelve disciples and the church. We still live as sheep among the opposition, some more than others.
ENDING VS 23
But this opposition won’t last forever. In our passage, we see when it will end. Look at verse 23 again:
“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” (Matthew 10:23, ESV).
Who was that? Jesus. He referred to himself in the third person and specifically as the Son of Man. But Jesus was there now. How can this be? What was Jesus referring to? The Son was in front of their faces, living, breathing, and teaching. I think Jesus referred to the end of all things after he ascended into heaven and came back. The good news must go forth into the world. There is work to be done. That is why we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on missions. That is why pastor Jeff, Justin Vander Ark, Mitchell Wimbush, and Mike Bowden all work with missions. That is why we have an insert in the bulletin that helps us pray for missions. We are sheep among wolves, sent out to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves to spread the good news of the kingdom.
FAITHFULLY
Let’s look at our final image, the sparrow.
And fear God who cares for sparrows.
Jesus was still preparing his disciples. Look at verses 26 and following.
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:26–31, ESV)
FEAR OF A DIFFERENT SORT
The passage encourages fear but not the fear we think. Look at verse 28. Jesus wanted his followers to fear the one who could kill body and soul. Who is that? God. What did Jesus mean? Fear can be a good thing. It can be an appropriate response. This reasonable fear equals awe and respect. God is on the throne and worthy of honor. If you were going out on your first date with the girl you love, you might get butterflies in your stomach, check your hair more than before you go to play ball, and be a little afraid. If you are worried about how you look in front of a lady you like, God is infinitely more worthy of honor. Jesus encouraged the disciple to fear God rather than people. That makes sense. However, he said not to fear these people trying to kill you. What do you think of that? Easier said than done, right? It is natural to fear people who threaten us. We are born with a desire to survive. We seek to fight or fly to safety when facing a threat. Jesus comforted his disciples that God cares for them more than he cares for sparrows and is worthy of awe, respect, and honor. He will not always take away the evil before us. However, he will always care for us. Justice is on its way.o
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Look at verses 32 and 33.
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32–33, ESV)
The wicked will face judgment. Justice will reign. The end of evil is inevitable. Justice is elusive. You can’t bring back the murder victim. What punishment fits the crime for those who have permanently harmed the souls of many through abuse? Only God can issue a judgment commensurate with the evil some perpetrate, and he will. That is good news. At the same time, for us who feel our guilt, not innocence before God, is not based on us but on our acknowledging Jesus. Do you acknowledge Jesus? God cares for you and invites you to. Do you believe Jesus’s Words? Trust in him and his words today. You can be innocent through his death on your behalf, no matter how guilty you have been. Acknowledge who he is and what he has done, and be saved from the wrath of God to come.
COMMISSIONING
Friends, the game is on; we are in the last inning. Jesus sends his people to the servers, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates. There are lots of ways to share our faith. Some seem more effective than others. But regardless of how we do it, it can strike terror inside the heart. Now add persecution. Jesus has a word for us. Don’t fear. Fear God. All the disciples following Jesus, minus Judas, who turned away, and John, who died of old age, were killed for their faith. The apostle Paul died for his faith. Paul looked death in the face and wrote that to die is to gain. If they kill us, we will rise again. It is more like sleep. Our souls go to be immediate with God, and our bodies will one day be resurrected in perfect form. To depart and be with God is far better. Thus, what can the opposition do to us but send us to be with the lover of our souls?
MISSED
There is one more encouragement I found in the passage. It is way back in verses 19 and 20. Look there. It describes God’s care.
“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say” (Matthew 10:19, ESV).
Why? Why should we not be anxious? Jesus answered that with the rest of the verse.
“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” (Matthew 10:19, ESV).
When you go out today, God will give you the words you must say. How? Look at verse 20.
“For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:20, ESV).
How does that work? God brings to mind Bible verses read or heard. Then, he gives words to say to those who trust in him through the Spirit.
TRINITY
As a side note, this is the first time I have seen this. I have read of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ. In verse 20, we read that it is the Spirit of your Father. The Bible says that God is Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Father’s Spirit. This is another evidence of a Trinitarian reality embedded in the Bible.
WITH
Besides that, this tells us that when you leave here this morning, you who follow Jesus are not alone. He has given you his Spirit, the Spirit of the Father, to be with you, empower you, and teach you what to say. That is astounding! Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is the fifty days after Passover in the Jewish calendar. We celebrated that day in Acts chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers. So, friends, if you trust Christ as your savior, you have the Spirit dwelling inside you. You have the Father’s strength in your hearts. He is with you. You are not alone.
APPLICATION
How do you respond to Jesus’s encouragement? He calls you to follow. Will you? As we go out, consider the shepherd’s invitation.
Be smart, like the snake. Pursue wisdom. Seek understanding. Ask for guidance.
How can you pursue wisdom this week?
Pursue innocence like a dove. Put evil far from you. Enjoy purity.
How can you pursue innocence this week?
And fear God. Remind yourself of who he is and what he does. Give him the honor and respect he deserves. If he cares for the sparrow, he certainly will care for you.
How can you pursue fearing God more this week and fearing people less?
He is good and worthy of our trust.
Let’s pray.
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