WISDOM AND INNOCENCE

Dr. Richard J. Henderson May 18, 2003

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Job 28: 20-28
Matthew 10: 16-20

Introduction

"Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." I have been struck by that sentence, I think, from the first time I heard it. I was surprised many years ago when I mentioned it to a fellow pastor, one who had been in the ministry for forty-five years, and he said he didn't realize it was from the Bible!

It's always been an intriguing thought to me... to be wise and innocent; to be shrewd and virtuous. At first I thought it was a clever statement, one of those aphorisms you read that catch your attention just in the way they are phrased. As I've gotten older I have come to know more and more of its wisdom.

All this was reinforced in the ninth grade when I was jumped and hit by another student. I was knocked down, and as I wrangled to get my bearings the thing that came to me instinctively was wrestling moves.

I was on the wrestling team where we were trained to respond with the moves we had learned. I immediately I went into a modified bear hug, where from behind I grabbed both his wrists in front of him.

It didn't take long for a crowd to gather, and soon the whole thing was broken up. However, within an hour the vice-principal had us in his office. The outcome of the whole thing was that since he had hit me and knocked me down, he was suspended for three days. Since I hadn't fought back, but just tried to restrain him, I wasn't.

"Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." In my case it wasn't so much wisdom as instinct that kept me innocent.

I

As Jesus is sending his disciples out into the world, he tells them to be wise as serpents. The context of his talk is that the world he is sending them into is dangerous. "I send you out like sheep among the wolves." He wants them to be smart about how they act.

I think he's saying, know what you are getting into. Don't be naive. Get the facts. Know what you're talking about, and know the reality of what you are facing. If you are up against evil, don't underestimate the degree of evil you could be facing.

The word he used for "wise" can also be translated "shrewd." Be savvy about the situation you find yourself in. Don't be unaware. Jesus says, "Be wise as serpents...", which immediately makes us think of the Garden of Eden, and the serpent that tempted Eve. Here is a wily snake that convinces Eve that it's all right to eat the fruit that God has forbidden, because it will make her like God. The serpent is clever; he knows exactly what he is doing. He is smart. It is very difficult to outwit him.

Jesus is saying to be that smart. Be that aware of what is going on. Don't be taken in, know what you are dealing with. When you go into a difficult situation, have that kind of shrewd wisdom.

That's the easy part. Many of us can be shrewd, knowledgeable and smart.

II

But Jesus completes the sentence by saying, "Be innocent as doves." We usually think of an innocent one as one who is inexperienced; the naive young person sweet in her innocence.

So many stories have been told of the young innocent person who goes to the big city and has to deal with the evil realities of urban life. Innocent people live in a world of their own, unaware of the evils that lurk in the world.

But that is not the virtue of innocence. It is naiveté. It is a sheltered life, but it isn't a strong moral stance. G. K. Chesterton once wrote that a man can't congratulate himself as innocent in avoiding a wild party life, if he lives on a deserted island. Innocence involves a choice. To really be innocent, you have to have an opportunity, which you resist. Real innocence faces evil but remains good.

III

Jesus talks to his disciples about the world they will face. Some will come at them with hatred. They must be aware of the depth of that hatred, but not hate in return. Many will want to hurt them and will attack them, they must be aware of that danger but not fight back.

In short, Jesus is saying don't allow your persecutors to get you to stoop to their level. Don't respond in kind to those who are doing evil. Don't become like the people who hate you.

That's the hard part. It's not as difficult to be shrewd about what you are up against as it is to remain innocent through it all. To be smart about the situation is a lot easier than resisting the urge to become like the ones who want to do you harm.

It is so easy to justify our actions by saying, "Yea, but look what they're doing to me!" "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

I talked with a woman going through a very difficult conflict, and she said, "One of the things I hate most about all this, is what it is causing me to become. I don't like who I am in dealing with all this."

She was very savvy about what was going on, but she was joining the tactics of those who were against her. It's the innocent part of this equation that is really difficult.

I believe what Jesus is saying here is be smart about what is happening, but don't take on the hatred or the schemes of your enemy. In defending ourselves we can become vengeful, like those who are attacking us. Jesus is saying here, meet evil with good, face vengeance with forgiveness, counter hatred with love. That sounds easy, but it may be the most difficult thing you ever do.

Conclusion

"I send you out like sheep among the wolves. Therefore, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves." When we face difficult situations Jesus calls us to be shrewd about the reality we are facing; be astute about the dangers involved; don't underestimate the motives of those you deal with; but remain innocent in the face of it all.

Horace Mann wrote, "Virtue is an angel, but she is a blind one, and must ask of knowledge to show her the pathway that leads to her goal." This is similar to what Jesus said. True virtue is wisdom and goodness. It is shrewdness and innocence.

"Be wise as serpents, and be innocent as doves."

Amen.

©Richard J. Henderson 2003