Among Wolves: A Hard Message with Hidden Hope

July 11, 2025 - Friday, Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Matthew 10:16–23

Who sends sheep into a pack of wolves?

Who sends a beloved son to tenants who’ve already killed the messengers before him?

God does.

It’s a shocking thought. But that’s the kind of God Jesus reveals—a God whose ways are not our ways, and whose thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8–9). A God who risks everything for love. And if you think that’s startling, wait till you hear what Jesus says next:

“You will be hated by all because of My name” (Matthew 10:22).

That’s not exactly a verse you’ll find on a coffee mug.

Lambs Among Wolves

In Jewish tradition, lambs often symbolize the Jewish people—vulnerable, scattered among the nations. Jesus takes that image and applies it to His apostles. They are His sheep, and He sends them straight into the jaws of danger.

But it doesn’t stop there. This imagery applies to the Church as a whole—Christ’s followers scattered throughout the world, trying to be light in the shadows. So how do you survive when you’re surrounded by wolves?

“Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

It’s a powerful image. In Genesis, the serpent was known for being “more cunning than any other creature” (Gen 3:1). But the original serpent lacked innocence—and humanity paid the price. Now Jesus flips the script. He wants His followers to carry both wisdom and purity. Not either-or, but both.

The dove, in the New Testament, represents the Holy Spirit—the giver of true wisdom. So, through the Spirit, Christ’s followers can live in a broken world without being broken by it. As Paul later writes:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

When Faith Is a Crime

Jesus prepares His disciples for hostility. Verses 17 and 18 describe a faith that isn’t just unpopular—it’s criminal. And history shows us He wasn’t exaggerating.

By the time Matthew’s Gospel was written—probably around 80 CE—Jewish followers of Jesus had already been expelled from synagogues (John 9:22). The Romans, once indifferent to Jewish disputes, began to see Christianity as something more dangerous. A rogue sect claiming allegiance to a different “Son of God”? That sounded like treason.

And what made Christians so threatening? They preached a crucified Messiah. They refused to bow to Caesar as Lord. And perhaps most unsettling—they lived differently. As Paul said, they no longer conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2). That kind of life disrupts the status quo.

On Trial, But Not Alone

In the face of persecution, Jesus offers this promise:

“Do not worry about how you are to speak... for what you are to say will be given to you at that time” (Matt 10:19–20).

This isn’t an excuse for laziness—it's not a preacher’s license to skip preparation and blame the Holy Spirit when things fall flat. Peter reminds us to always be ready to give an account for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15).

But when we find ourselves in impossible situations—on trial, under pressure—that’s when Jesus speaks through us. As one early Church Father put it:

“You indeed go out to the battle, but it is I who fight; you utter words, but it is I who speak” (St. Remigius).

Family Divided

Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat the cost of discipleship. He says betrayal might come from our closest relationships—parents, siblings, even spouses. This echoes a cry from the prophet Micah:

“A man’s enemies are the members of his own household” (Micah 7:6).

Micah was speaking in a time of moral collapse and corrupt leadership. And history repeats itself. The early Church would face these very tensions—families split over Christ.

So what should we do when the foundations are shaking?

“Trust in the Lord,” Micah says (Micah 7:7).

“Flee to another town,” says Jesus (Matt 10:23).

Both are forms of faith. One plants roots in God’s promise. The other listens to Jesus’ practical wisdom.

Persecution and the Paradox of Progress

Jesus closes with a mysterious line:

“You will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Scholars have long debated what this means. Was He speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE? Or the Second Coming? Or something else entirely?

The answer may be less important than the paradox:

What looks like defeat—persecution, scattering, rejection—often becomes the very path through which the Gospel spreads.

As the Book of Acts says, when persecution broke out, the believers were scattered—and so the message went with them (Acts 8:1).

Final Thought

Following Jesus isn’t safe. It never has been.

But it is good.

And even among wolves, even when betrayed or rejected, we are not alone.

The same Spirit that descended like a dove now rests on us.

The same Jesus who sends us, walks with us.

And the same Gospel that once shook empires still changes hearts today.

So go—wise as serpents, innocent as doves.

And trust that God still turns tragedy into triumph.