In today's gospel passage, Jesus warns his disciples that they should be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves (Mt 10:16). Jesus knew that not everyone who hears his words will be willing to welcome them. In fact, he knew that the disciples would be handed over to the courts and scourged in the synagogues (Mt 10:17).
On the surface, any human being would be afraid to go about spreading the good news that they had learned from Jesus, especially if the consequence was that we would meet with certain suffering, however, the good news that Jesus brings is meant to shed light, to call people out of the shadows, and many people are either not ready, or not willing to do so.
We need to be shrewd about how we share the light of the gospel. We must be willing to think beyond the parameters of those who challenge us. If we have to struggle in order to speak the gospel, Jesus is reassuring us that we are on the right track. The gospel has always, and will always be meant to comfort those who have been disturbed by life's trials, and at the same time, to disturb those who have grown too complacent with their own status in life. If this means that the one who heralds the Lord's coming by proclaiming the gospel (a word which means good news), will be persecuted then so be it.
Have a great day.
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