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The Perils of Apostleship.
The basis of the apostles' conduct:
v. 16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Their attention is called to the importance of His instructions. I send you, emphatic; He, the promised Prophet, makes use of His power in commissioning them as His assistants; in the midst of dangerous circumstances His gracious protection would attend them. Due to the natural depravity of men and the hatred of redemption, their position would be that of sheep surrounded by wolves,—but not in the power of the wolves! Danger might ever be lurking near, and vigilance untiring is demanded. Here nothing but weakness and natural timidity: there nothing but fierceness and rapacity; yet the mission must go on. The situation requires the wisdom, the prudence the cunning of serpents, Gen_3:1; Psa_58:5; but, incidentally, the guilelessness, the innocence, the simplicity of doves, Hos_7:11. "Though Christ commands His disciples to be harmless as the doves, that is, they should be upright and without bitterness, yet He also admonishes them that they be prudent as the serpents, that is, they should diligently beware of false and deceitful people and be careful, as it is said that serpents in battle with special cunning and art watch and shelter their head."