I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16

I think most of us would agree that the culture we are living in is a challenge.  And the interesting thing is  Jesus seems to know it too. He seems to know that conflicts between those who believe in Christ - in Him - and the culture are unavoidable. He said: 

“I am sending you out like sheep among the wolves.”

Sheep are such gentle creatures they seem no match for a wolf. But they are more intelligent than we give them credit. When a wolf comes around, their natural instinct is to come together into a tight flock and look to the shepherd for protection.  That might be the image Jesus intended for this message.  Whenever we are battling the wolves in our lives, he might tell us we need to look for the other sheep, our flock (each other) and Him for help. We are not designed to go it alone. We need each other and God.  

Jesus also told us “to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” When I was a boy, we used a term Jesus might have used if he knew it. The term was “street-smart.” We were good kids in a bad neighborhood. But we learned how to get out of danger if needed; we were good but crafty.

It is difficult to imagine a single person having the characteristics of the serpent and the dove simultaneously. Jesus is saying we must combine the toughness and craftiness of the serpent - we must be street-smart - and at the same time be gentle as a dove, to be effective as his disciples.  Jesus expects us to live outside our comfort zone and defend our faith in a culture that is full of hostility. To do that he says, we must have a tough mind and a tender heart.