About sheep and wolves . . .

and serpents and doves too

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.–Matthew 5:20.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t escape the clear message of Jesus. Over and over again, Jesus urged his disciples to go beyond even the most religious of his day. By both his words and his actions, Jesus mandated the impossible: to love your neighbor as yourself.

THE SCANDAL OF CHRISTIANITY

The true scandal of Christianity, almost from the get-go, has been the movement’s inability to master the art of loving each other. Divisions were present already in the early Jesus movement, as evidenced in several of the epistles. Debates raged over everything from the application of the Mosaic law to whether Christians should eat food offered to idols. They argued about how to handle the influx of widows in the church. The early church struggled with disagreements around circumcision, religious festivals, finances, missions, and theology.

THE DIVISIONS AMONG JEWS DURING JESUS’ DAY

The Gospels also relate division among the Jewish people during the time of Jesus. These divisions were not about race or gender or sexual identity for none of these issues would have been prominent in the 1st Century C.E.

What did divide the Jews of Jesus’ day? Primarily, there were three flash points among the Jewish people: distribution of wealth, views around the Hebrew Scriptures, and various religious parties and their relationship to Rome.

THE POOR YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU

The problem for the poor, who made up most of the population, was that they had no way of climbing out of their poverty. The working poor could sustain themselves during good times, but if there was any disturbance, such as drought on the one hand or friction with Rome on the other, they were in trouble. The wealthy, on the other hand (priestly families, for example), had the cushion of the Temple, with its steady and lucrative income flow. The upper class also enjoyed a favorable relationship with Roman officials—like Pilate, for example.

THE BIBLE YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU

Along with the problem of class and privilege, the Jews had religious disputes. These controversies were primarily among the people of the middle and upper classes. (Much like today, members of the lower classes didn’t have the luxury of worrying over matters of biblical interpretation.)

Without going into too much detail, the problem was essentially how to read the Bible. (Sound familiar?) Some, like the Priests, read the Bible literally and considered only the Bible as authoritative. You can understand why they held this position when you learn that the Bible was written by priests, so much of what was written favored them.

The middle-class merchants, known as Pharisees, believed that you had to interpret the Bible for the day. They were known for their 613 oral additions to the biblical tradition. These leaders in towns and villages wanted to give direction to the community as to how they should live. For the Pharisees, both the Bible and oral tradition were authoritative.

And then you had the Zealots, the most radical of the sects. For these fierce “dagger men,” even paying taxes to Rome was idolatry: “Jesus, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” This question was a Zealot loyalty test!

AND ROME YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU

The Zealots hated Rome and openly rebelled against their occupiers. The Pharisees encouraged accommodation with the world’s only superpower, believing they could live with Roman occupation as long as they could exercise their Jewish culture. And the priests (aka the Sadducees)? It was said of these religious leaders that they spent the morning in the Temple and the afternoon in the Roman baths.

HARD TRUTH YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU

The sobering truth around all of these divisions is that had these groups united in the common cause of their calling, they could have averted the dismantling of the Jewish nation via the wars of 66 and 132 C.E. And even more startling is the contention by many historians that had they banded together, they may even have defeated the mighty Roman army. As it was, the hatred that they had for one another brought about the destruction of the Temple and the deaths of thousands of their own people.

During the siege of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 C.E., the Romans sat on the rise called Mount Scopus and watched as Jewish groups slaughtered one another. More than 1900 years later, Facebook fans are sitting on a proverbial hill watching followers of Jesus do the same. What is particularly sad is the glee with which the swords are being wielded.

THE SWORD YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU

Jesus said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). What did he mean? In answer to that question, it is helpful to look at the full chapter. Just prior to his pronouncement on peace and the sword, Jesus told his followers: “I am sending you as sheep among wolves” (10:16).

Over the years I’ve done some research on sheep and wolves. Here’s something I learned about the flocking instinct of sheep: the need for community among sheep is so strong that if there are no other sheep on hand, a single sheep will attempt to form a flock with any other animals around—ducks, pigs, goats, cows.

But after reading American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee (a great read, by the way), I learned that wolves will almost never accept another animal into their pack. Another significance difference between sheep and wolves is that sheep need a shepherd whereas wolves need an alpha, either male or female.

JESUS KNEW HIS ANIMALS

Jesus was raised next to the Carmel Mountain range where wolves would have been plentiful. Sheep would have been a major source of income for his hometown of Nazareth. So when Jesus calls us to be sheep instead of wolves, he knows the metaphor better than we do.

Jesus flocked with all kinds—Samaritan women, fisher folks, even tax collectors who collaborated with the oppressor. Fully aware of the challenge, Jesus sends us into a world that says we should form packs only with those who look, talk, think, act, and pray the same way. Jesus calls us to mingle with unlikely flocks—and if we can’t find one, to form one and keep it growing. “I am sending you as sheep among wolves.” FLOCK UP!

BUT SERPENTS AND DOVES TOO, THANK GOD

In our rich world of fascinating differences, Jesus doesn’t suggest fearing these differences. He doesn’t say that we should fight against them or run away from them. What Jesus does say is that we best encounter our world of difference by becoming something other than a vulnerable sheep. Namely, we are to become like serpents and doves. “Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves” (Matthew 10:16b).

The word “wise” here means street-wise, not book-wise. It’s the cook who can go to his cupboard and make a meal out of what is there, recipe or not. It’s the computer tech who has tried all the obvious fixes but has developed the instincts to work the bugs out. This wisdom comes from hard-knocks learning, the most effective of teachers.

“Gentle” is a peculiar word choice too. It means “unmixed” or “pure.” Gentle people are candid, transparent, honest to a fault, straightforward. They carry no pretense, no hidden agendas. The gentle person is the person in the room who doesn’t say much, but when she does, everyone bends an ear to listen.

Put these two together, “wise” and “gentle,” and you have sheep who can adapt to change but without compromising the basic decency of who they are as persons. These are not lambs led to the slaughter, but grown, mature ewes and rams who know where they stand and what principles define them.

SO WHAT’S JESUS POINT?

Nearing the end of his time with the disciples, Jesus offered his friends this advice. “You are going into a world of many different beings, and there may be some danger. So know how to adapt, but also know when not to compromise. Know what to take with you and what to leave behind. Know when to quit and know when to never give up. Know when to trust your gut and know when to revise your thinking. This is a lifetime endeavor!” Discernment—that is the virtue with the openness of a sheep, the wisdom of a serpent, and the gentleness of a dove.

DISCERNING MY VOTE

I admire wolves—their strength, their confidence, their familial loyalty. And having spent years in the Middle East around sheep, I have come to appreciate the sheep’s instinct for community and their willingness to follow.

By nature, wolves divide in order to conquer. And this culling out of the weak works really, really well if what you want to accomplish is a feeding for your own pack only. Americans, we don’t need a wolf as our leader.

We need someone who can find strength in our differences, learn lessons from hard knocks, stand for deep-seated principles, and surround himself with wise people to help him discern. Of the two viable candidates for U.S. President, the choice seems obvious to me.