“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men. For they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles: but when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what to speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.”
That the Apostles may not be surprised when their ministry is not well-received, but know that love will be met with hatred, Jesus warns that He sends them as sheep in the midst of wolves. He does not send them to wolves, but in the midst of wolves, displaying the meekness of sheep when met with the comportment of a wolf. You are called not to hate nor to evil, but to be as simple and gentle as a sheep towards all, suffering even wounds for the sake of love, that those you encounter may have their wrath quieted by your love and meekness: “If thou blow the spark, it shall burn as a fire: and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: both come out of the mouth” (Ecclesiasticus 28:14). It is important to consider that when someone does wrong to you, they are harming themselves, while your own soul remains pure and loving: “Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7); “You are of God, little children, and have overcome him” (1 John 4:4). This is to be wise in doing good, therefore wise as a serpent: “The sons of wisdom are the church of the just: and their generation, obedience and love” (Ecclesiasticus 3:1), seeing with a keen eye the greatest act of love one can do and by grace being able to do it: “For the grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men; instructing us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world” (Titus 2:11-12). Or, this wisdom can be that of truth, that you may know when the voice of the serpent whispers in your ear and be unfazed by him: “In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one” (Philippians 6:16). Armed with this wisdom, you can provide truth to those that are starved for truth: “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you: let the people go forth, and gather what is sufficient for every day” (Exodus 16:4). This is joined to the simplicity of always loving with a meek spirit: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land” (Matthew 5:4). Now, the combination of the two is of great importance, for simplicity without wisdom can easily be deceived: “Be not lowly in thy wisdom, lest being humbled thou be deceived into folly” (Ecclesiasticus 13:11), whereas knowledge without simplicity and love makes for a proud spirit: “Knowledge puffeth up; but love edifieth” (1 Corinthians 8:1). But, be wary of the reaction of others to the message of love, for some, so in love with their vices, passions, and things of this world, will react harshly to the idea that love is greater than such things: “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Individuals, other religious traditions, states, and kingdoms can’t fathom that love is greater than these: “For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16), and so will meet love with hate, which is the natural end of sin: “You that love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalm 96:10). That the saints are delivered for the sake of love unto these powers and go to their death for this same love is an example to those that love, and a testimony to those that don’t, that they may be given every opportunity to see how radical is the love of God: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 115:15); “In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken for misery: and their going away from us, for utter destruction: but they are in peace” (Wisdom 3:2-3). In these places of persecution, love is most fully on display: “And they indeed went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41), and so the Holy Spirit is most active. Because the two become one in you, particularly in moments when love is most firmly tested, and it is not you that fight or speak, but the Beloved in you: “Do you seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me, who toward you is not weak, but is mighty in you?” (2 Corinthians 13:3). Therefore, Theophila, be wise in love, “being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you” (1 Peter 3:15), trusting that the Spirit of this same love will bring the words to mind that you need.