Serpents and doves–an interesting contrast. Jesus told His disciples, “Be wise as serpents, as harmless as doves.” What did He mean by that?

It is in the context of Jesus sending out the Twelve to announce to Israel that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand (Mt. 10). Jesus warned they were being sent out as sheep in the midst of wolves, therefore they would need to demonstrate the admirable qualities of a serpent. Perhaps that would include being cunning, discreet, and alert. But these traits are to be tempered with the gentleness and innocence of a dove.

We lament that the world is hostile to Christians. This is nothing new. We are just unaccustomed to it. Christians have enjoyed favor from the government for much of American history. Ironically, this tends to have a negative effect on the church. The Roman emperor Constantine turned his favor to Christianity, ending two centuries of concerted governmental persecution against Christians. But the result of that favor ushered in some of the darkest abuses and influx of false teachings in church history.

The challenge we face today is similar to the climate of the first century. We have a message from God to announce to the world. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. We are sent out as sheep in wolf country. In order to survive and in order to be effective we must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.