It’s A Dangerous World

Matthew 10:7-16
Jesus said to the twelve, “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

It is one thing to become a follower of this guy who is teaching a new way of looking at the scriptures. To get in line with a guy who questions traditions that you grew up with. A guy who is not showing the usual respect for the most revered preachers and is teaching things very different from what you learned in Sunday School. It is going to create some tension in your family and among your friends when you follow a person like that.
But it is a whole other thing to start doing the things he is doing. For me to go from town to town and teach the things He teaches. For me to bring miraculous healing to people. To live with the bare essentials trusting God for my sustenance. This is where faith gets tested. The only classroom that some lessons can be learned and tests can be taken.
All of us would love to be given the power and authority to heal and cast out demons and raise the dead. I can only imagine what it would be like to have the power to solve unsolvable problems. What that might do to your ego!! I wonder if Jesus imploring them to find a worthy person whose family is worthy, to stay with, is because Jesus knows that the wealthy may want them to stay with them and entice them not to leave. This is not supposed to be comfortable for them. It would be hard to want to move on to another town if they had a great little set-up in a wealthy person’s home.
“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Jesus is letting them know, this is dangerous!! He is telling them to stay on their guard. It is interesting that a serpent often symbolizes evil. It was the serpent that tricked Adam and Eve into rebelling against God and it was the Dove that Noah used which symbolized the renewal of earth as home for man to thrive. The way to navigate the dangerous climate Jesus is sending them into is to think like the devil and behave like the innocent. WOW! This passage begins and clearly states that Jesus is sending out the 12. The disciples closest to Jesus all except for one would be named apostles. This is not for all believers. But I think that there is a lesson for all believers in this passage.
I have been guilty of being lazy minded. I naively trust God to take care of, protect me from, fix – everything. I prefer to think I am trusting God but sometimes I just don’t want to have to think my way through things. If I pray at all, I say things that sound faithful but sometimes I’m just being too lazy to try to think of solutions to whatever it is I’m dealing with. Jesus doesn’t want His disciples to experience pain and suffering, flogging, imprisonment, beatings and even death but He knows that it is a real possibility. Too many times the answer we settle for in our struggle in this world is to, “Wait on the Lord” or to have “faith in the storm”. Jesus tells them that this is dangerous, you have to really be careful and think your way through this. He doesn’t tell them, But don’t worry, God will rescue you.
I think that if I am going to get anything out of this it would be this. I live in the world. The church lives in the world. Every christian lives in the world. I go out, we go out, everyday, into the world. There are going to be situations and decisions to make and I am accountable for my decisions. This world, IS NOT, the church, the kingdom, Heaven on earth. This world is where Satan and his demons have influence upon man. Yes God created our world and yes it is good. But the evil that exists, exists because darkness exists and man loves darkness(John 3:19-21). I, like the disciples have to realize the dangerous world I live in and live in such a way that I see through the schemes set to snare my soul.
Don’t get caught up in the riches of this world. Live simply.
Remember what my purpose in life is: To love God with all my heart, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as myself.
All that is evil, does not have horns and a tail. It something is not serving my walk with God, then why give it so much attention. Jesus tells his disciples that if a worthy person accepts you but his household doesn’t, don’t stay there.
What might seem like a blessing, could be a trap. A great job, an exciting new place to worship, a new friend, a fun hobby etc. do they take me away from the presence of God or deeper into it?