“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
As long as we remain as sheep, we prevail; and though encompassed by countless wolves, we emerge triumphant. But if we transform into wolves, we are vanquished, for we lose the aid of the Shepherd. He feeds the sheep, not wolves, and will forsake thee shouldst thou refuse to allow His power to work within thee.
Behold, He saith unto thee: “Be not dismayed that, as I send thee forth among wolves, I charge thee to be as sheep and as doves. I might have ordained otherwise, sending thee, not to suffer evil nor to yield as sheep to wolves, but to be fiercer than lions. Yet the path I have chosen is best; it shall bring thee greater honour and shall glorify My power.” Thus He spake unto Paul: My grace is sufficient for thee, for My power is made perfect in weakness. “Even so,” He saith, “I purpose to deal with thee.” For when He declareth, I send you forth as sheep among wolves, He implieth: “Be not faint of heart, for I am assured that none shall overcome thee.”
Yet the Lord willeth that His disciples offer their own effort, lest all seem to be wrought solely by grace, and lest they appear to earn their reward undeservedly. Therefore, He addeth: Be ye wise as serpents and innocent as doves. But some might question, “What benefit is there in our wisdom amidst so many perils? How can we exercise wisdom when tossed upon so many waves? How can the cunning of a sheep avail against the multitude of wolves? And what worth hath the innocence of a dove amidst the hawks that swoop upon it?”
To this I reply: Though cunning and innocence avail not the irrational beasts, they shall avail thee greatly. What cunning doth the Lord require? The cunning of the serpent. A serpent, when in peril, will surrender its body to be torn asunder, so long as it preserveth its head. So likewise, saith the Lord, must thou surrender all save thy faith—thy wealth, thy body, yea, even thy life. For faith is thy head and thy root; preserve it, and though thou lose all else, it shall be restored to thee in abundance.
Thus the Lord commandeth His disciples to be not merely wise nor merely innocent, but to combine these qualities into true virtue. He commendeth the cunning of the serpent, that thou mayest avoid mortal wounds, and the innocence of the dove, that thou mayest refrain from vengeance upon those who harm thee or ensnare thee. Wisdom, when severed from innocence, is of no avail.
Think not this charge to be beyond thy strength. The Lord, who knoweth the true nature of all things created, is well aware that moderation, not fierce defence, doth repel the fiercest assault.
