We can learn a lot about what it means to be a follower of Jesus by looking at the story of the first time Jesus empowered his disciples to go out on their own to do what he had been teaching them to do. (Matthew 10:6-16)

What did Jesus send them out to do? To be healers in a hurting world. To be bringers of new life in the midst of death. To be restorers of sanity in the midst of madness. To be bestowers of hope in the midst of despair. To be bearers of faith and truth in the midst of hypocrisy and cynicism. To be makers of peace in the midst of violent ways.

When Jesus empowered his people and sent them out for these sacred purposes, he gave them a word of warning, a word to the wise:

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves,” he said, “So be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” 

It will be dangerous, Jesus tells them, it’s not going to be easy or safe for you. You will be like sheep among wolves.

Now, the first thing to be clear about here is what Jesus is saying that being his follower is not. It is not like being a wolf, it is more to be like a sheep than like a wolf. This means we are not to be like the predators of the world. This means that if we are to follow the way of Jesus we are not to be looking to destroy others or to exploit their weaknesses. Our mission is a mission of healing, not of destruction.

However, does Jesus just leave it at that and say his followers are to be only like sheep among wolves? No. He’s saying, because it’s dangerous, you should have some snake in you too.

“Be as wise as serpents:” The Greek word here can be translated as “savvy” or “street-smart,” “prudent,” “tough-minded.” The opposite of naïve. Jesus is saying, “Don’t be naïve about how vicious the world can be. Be smart. Be savvy. Be cautious, and protective, like a snake.”

And then, Jesus doesn’t just leave it at that: be like sheep that are also like snakes … this last part is very important:

“Be as savvy as serpents and as innocent as doves.”

“Innocent:” this is sometimes translated as “gentle.” Pure of heart, as in “Blessed are the pure of heart.” As in, in the Parker Palmer interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer we sometimes use here at our church: “Lead us to holy innocence, beyond the evil of our days.”

So … we are to be like sheep that are like snakes that are like doves…

What does this mean?

This is a very important teaching of Jesus, one that should get more attention than it usually does, I think. It’s the kind of teaching that is important to turn to time and again throughout our lives, especially when we find ourselves feeling threatened, or we find ourselves getting comfortable. Because it is about the difficult balances we are to try to keep if we are sincere in trying to be followers of Jesus on healing missions in the midst of all the harshness of life in this world as it is.

This is about balance:

Be pure of heart, yet street-smart.

Be tough-minded, yet tender-hearted.

Have both grit and grace.

Often, we swing to one side or the other in this balance. When we lose our innocence and get hurt or see others hurt, the lesson we can take is: “This is a mean world, so you better get mean. You’re either predator or prey, a soldier or a softy, a fighter or a push-over, so if you want to survive in this world, you better sharpen your blade.” We become all snake or all wolf, and none of the vulnerable sheep or dove.  

On the other hand, if we’re not inclined to become a fighter, then we tend to be inclined to shy away from the harsh side of humanity and find some fortress to hide behind and we build up layers of denial to protect ourselves from the outside. We are all sheep and all dove, and push away the snake or wolf of ourselves.  

Either approach has its costs and takes its toll, but also has its reasons and serves a function when it comes to the difficulties of negotiating with the realities of violent sinfulness.

It’s important to assess: where are we on this spectrum? And where is Jesus calling us to be, for the sake of doing our part to embody God’s love in response to the needs of our lives and our times?

Are we being called out to have some more grit and fight in us, for the sake of protecting those who are threatened – our neighbors and friends and family and community members who are being targeted or neglected? (Such as immigrants, trans and queer folks, folks who receive public food assistance or health insurance, those targeted due to their political, religious, or ethnic affiliation …) When Jesus saw a mob about to stone a young woman as a scapegoat for their sins, and he had the courage and compassion to jump in and intervene to stop it, without violence but with clear moral conviction.

Or on the other hand, have we been in fight mode so long – embattled against enemies that surround us at every turn – that we’ve become hard-hearted, and God is calling us to soften our hearts with compassion for the harms that are done in our name?

“Be savvy as serpents, and gentle as doves.”

Critical to this balance is letting God into the equation. That’s what the Way of Jesus leads us to do at every turn. With God, who is both infinite and intimate, we find the larger scope, the larger source of our very beings, through which God can give us stability and sanity and healing and courage in the midst of the tragic contradictions of human life. 

The saints of the world have a very sober assessment of just how messed up humanity can be. But with God, they experience that recovery of our original innocence, our pure nature as beloved and loving children of God, which leads them to live with great compassion and great courage.

To be a Christian means to know in a very keen way just how vicious and entrenched sin is in humanity, in others as well as in ourselves. It is not our job to conquer sin somehow. But we do have a job to do, and we can’t do it if we run from the harsh realities of sin. Rather, we need to turn to it, and allow God to bear the pain of it for us. This helps us grow in love through hardship. With God in the equation, the harshness of experience becomes our strength to engage with the harmful forces in the world as healers – wounded healers – who are street-smart yet still pure of heart, full of grace and grit.

The world needed it in Jesus’ time. The world needs it now. We need it. To be healers in a hurting world. To be bringers of new life in the midst of death. To be restorers of sanity in the midst of madness. To be bestowers of hope in the midst of despair. To be bearers of faith and truth in the midst of hypocrisy and cynicism. To be makers of peace in the midst of violent ways. With compassion and courage.

So, I thank God for Jesus who, as ever, leads the way.

Thanks be to God.

(Delivered Sunday, May 25, 2025, by Rev. Nathaniel Mahlberg, at the United Church of Christ at Valley Forge)