Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
REFLECTION
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
My husband noticed a snake slither over my car tire. He turned the car on to make the snake escape and it did, slithered along the crack between the house and the driveway and in a blink of an eye the snake was gone. Gone into the area where plants are and was not seen again. He knew how to escape and not be seen Pretty shrewd!!
"The Ant and the Dove" is a classic fable that teaches the simplicity of kindness. When a thirsty ant fell into a river, a kind dove dropped a leaf to save it from drowning. Later, when a hunter tried to trap the dove, the ant bit the hunter's foot to let the dove escape.
What happens to sheep when alone? Sheep have very few natural defenses and no real weapons. Their gentle nature, heavy wool, and trusting flock mentality make them completely helpless against predators. Because they lack survival instincts, they need a shepherd to guide them, feed them, and keep them safe. Especially from wolves !!
The world will destroy you if you let it and Jesus promises and assures us that He will not abandon us. The Spirit will give us all we need as long as we follow Him. We are sheep dependent on one who loves us. Let us let Him into our lives.
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