INTRODUCTION
Jesus gives the Twelve authority to heal, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. He does not give them authority to escape persecutors. Persecution is an inevitable part of the mission of the Crucified.

THE TEXT
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues . . . .” (Matthew 10:16-33).

SHEEP AND WOLVES, SERPENTS AND DOVES
Jesus sends the Twelve to the “lost sheep” of Israel (10:6), but the Twelve themselves are sheep among wolves (v. 16; cf. 7:15). They are as vulnerable as the people they serve, and are oppressed by the same wolfish shepherds as the people are. Genesis 3:1 tells us that the serpent was “wise,” and the story shows that the serpent is a deceiver. Deception is a tactic of war, and it is fitting when the serpentine deceiver is deceived by serpentine disciples. Jesus tells them, for example, to flee rather than remain in a city where they are persecuted (v. 23; cf. Acts 9:23-25).

KINGS AND BROTHERS
Persecution arises first within Israel, the people of God. Jesus says that persecution will come from families (v. 21). But through persecution, the mission to Israel will become a mission to the Gentiles. The Jews will not only “scourge you in their synagogues,” but will bring them “before governors and kings” (vv. 17-18). Without persecution, Jesus’ disciples would never gain access to Gentile rulers. The Twelve don’t have to prepare persuasive speeches; the Spirit will testify to the Gentiles through them (v. 20). Jesus assures the Twelve that they will be delivered and vindicated when the Son of Man comes (v. 23), a reference not to the end of the world but to the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 (cf. Matthew 16:28; 24:29-35). This is the end-point of the mission to Israel. Whoever perseveres with Jesus through that crisis will be saved (v. 22).

DO NOT FEAR
The Twelve will receive the same treatment as Jesus (vv. 24-25). So far, the opposition to Jesus has been fairly mild (9:34), but eventually He will be scourged (v. 17) and turned over to Gentiles (v. 18). Jesus’ trial and crucifixion set the pattern of Christian mission. Jesus gives three reasons why the Twelve should not fear deadly opposition. First, persecution is the mechanism for bringing secret things to light (vv. 26-27). Persecution is not an obstacle to mission but an opportunity for witness. Second, the persecutors can’t do any more than kill the body. The Twelve should fear God’s judgment more than human judges (vv. 28). Our ultimate future is not determined by human authorities but by whether we confess or deny Jesus (vv. 32-33). The thought of God judging us seems frightening, but Jesus says it’s liberating. Because we fear God’s judgment, we have no fear of human authorities, no matter how vicious. Third, the Father takes care of His children, more than He cares for sparrows (vv. 29-31). “Not a single hair shall fall” is a common expression in the Bible (1 Samuel 14:45; 2 Samuel 14:11; 1 Kings 15:2), but Jesus doesn’t promise that. He promises that when our crown of hair falls to the dust, our Father knows it.