A Tough Mind and A Tender Heart
Matthew 10:1-16
“Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” vs. 16b
Name The Opposite
Put up a list of words (10) and ask the congregation to name the opposite.
Happy – Sad
Up – Down
Hot – Cold
Sunny – Rainy
Out – In
Day – Night
Old – New
Sweet – Sour
Cooked – Raw
Love – Hate
Did it ever occur to you that we live in a world of opposites? It seems strange, but very few times we find ourselves in the middle or in the balance of things. Even our personalities are one way or another. You very rarely find a person who is assertive who is humble; a person who is passive who is militant, or a person who is I would even say that Jesus calls us to be people who live in opposites. We are going to read Matthew 10:1-10 and hear Jesus words again. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word
Read Passage – Matthew 10:1-16
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep. 11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Jesus Choice Of Men
This passage has a unique character about it that could go easily undetected but is important for us. In verse 2a it says:
“These are the names of the twelve apostles…” vs. 2a
It’s been documented that Jesus had quite a crowd that followed him. We know of the 12 that are listed here. We also know there were somewhere around 70 other disciples that followed him too. There is also Biblical data that shows there was quite a few women who followed him as well. It’s likely that when Jesus walked into a place it was quite a crowd. It’s not just a few. Here, Jesus specifically names 12 men he chooses to be the ones given the responsibility of spreading the news about him. The passage calls them “apostles.” The word “apostle” means “one sent”. Its meaning is one that encompasses the meaning “ambassador.” That same word is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:20 when Paul says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.
In our passage Jesus choice is the 12 men listed, the original apostles or ambassadors. Taking into account Paul’s words, we also are chosen. Jesus chose them and he chooses you and me as well. That’s an important concept and affirmation that God has entrusted his message to you and me.
Living With Authority
In light of that, let’s back up to verse one. He says:
“He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” vs.1
Knowing they are chosen instills a certain confidence but in verse one he gives them authority; authority to drive out spirits and to heal. Now that is power. Having Jesus gives us power too but unfortunately many of us live a life that doesn’t seem to reflect the power we have in us. Now having power doesn’t mean you go around abusing that power but it should help us to feel much more confident than many of us do. You have authority. You have authority to speak God’s Word, to live confidently, to live in a way that reflects your ambassadorship.
Ex. The movie the Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy, Toto, the scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion meet the wizard and are expecting him to give them the things they lack; he actually gives them what they already have except, now they have the authority to use those gifts.
In a sense the same is true for you and I. God has given us gifts, strengths, and unique qualities that are just for you. I am not supposed to be you and you are not supposed to be me. I am suppose me and all God has created and blessed me with the abilities I have and you are to be you and use the blessings and abilities that he has given you. And when you and I live in those abilities, when we be who we are called to be and share our life and story with the talents he has given us, we are living in that authority. His authority and power are freeing.
Jesus Formula For Action
Understanding that you are called and that you have authority let’s us live with those seeming contradictions or opposites in our life.
Ex. If you are shy and more of a one-on-one person, standing up and speaking in front of people and in crowds is not your calling. So here’s the freedom, you don’t have too. If you like to, you have the freedom to do that too. But sometimes, even when we are being who God designed us to be, we feel we need to be the opposite. I hear people say things like, “I should do (this) more or I should be (this) way.” Just be you and understand there will be opposites in your life. Jesus addresses that for us here. He says in verse 16:
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” vs. 16
Shrewdness and innocence are not to characteristics that go together easily. I believe Martin Luther Kings Jr. put it best for us when he said;
“We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
So let’s play our game again. Name the opposite of:
Shrewd – Unknowing
Innocent – impure or sinful. King describes it as softness
So lets look at Jesus formula for action, his way to deal with the tough situations in life and the tough people.
- The Need For A Tough Mind
To be as shrewd as a snake and soft as a dove calls for us to have a tough mind. Let’s look at Philippians 2:9-10:
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best…” Phil. 1:9-10
This is the idea that we are to be solid hard thinkers. We live in a world where it seems that people are looking for the easy answers, the easy way out. This really comes out if you watch commercials or look at advertisements. A catchy slogan or tune and we think we need the product.
Ex. What do women dripping ketchup on themselves in a bikini have to do with selling hamburgers? Yet, that is exactly what Carl’s Jr. puts our there, and guess what, it works.
You could call the lack of a tough mind soft-mindedness. And many people today think that Christians are soft-minded. A good example is that many people feel there is a conflict between science and religion. That they are opposites! Not true. God created science, he has given some people incredible scientific minds and he has given us insight into things. These two things are not opposites, they complement each other. Religion keeps science from feeling that we can be our own gods are that we can know it all because the more we discover the more we realize there is to learn. Science keeps religion from declaring things wrongly and from being irrational. Remember at one time many thought the world was flat or that the world was the center of the universe. We know these are not true because of science and we have discovered so much more when we understand them in the way God created them. I could go on but let me sum it up with a quote from Proverbs 14:6:
“The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.”Proverbs 14:6
The awesome thing about a tough mind is that it helps us discern. Discern right from wrong and good from bad. We need tough minds to know when to talk and when to be silent.
2. The Necessity of A Tender Heart
A second tool in the formula is the necessity for a tender heart. As science and religion oare complementary, so is the idea of having a tough mind and a tender heart. This is best exemplified in the life of Jesus himself. Isaiah 53:2 says:
“He (Jesus) grew up before him like a tender shoot…” Isaiah 53:2
One of the characteristics of Jesus was his tender heart. Numerous times it says that he was moved when he saw someone hurting, in pain, or downtrodden. We are called to be Christ-like. The opposite of a tender hard is a hard heart. A hard hearted person never truly loves, he lacks compassion, lacks the value of relationship, is unmoved, and really is self-centered. Being Christ-like is being compassionate, caring, building up of others, and values people.
The church is called to be tender-hearted. To accept people and love people as if it were Christ himself showing his concern for them. To many times the world doesn’t see us as loving and compassionate but as judgmental and overbearing. This isn’t true of course, but it is the perception that is out there. Division, fighting, disputes, and segregation is not tender hearted but hard hearted. So the call is to be Christ-like. Paul puts it this way in Phil. 2:1-2:
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Phil.2:1-2
The church, our church, is called to be like Christ and love with tenderness and compassion.
Ex. Taking a leadership role in the community against violence, poverty, homelessness, etc
3. Living Differently
And finally, the combination of a tough mind and a tender heart results in our living our lives differently. It calls us to be in the world but not of the world, to live in the Spirit. Gal. 5:16-17:
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Gal. 5:16-17
The reason Jesus gives us this dichotomy in picture of a snake and a dove, is that it means we have the ability to blend the hard thinking with the tender heart and there is only one way that can happen; with the Holy Spirit. You may think, I’m too set in my ways, I’m too old to change, it’s just my nature, no! Let me remind you that Jesus said some very confusing words in John 17. He talked about his necessity to go away, that he must go so the Spirit could come. It’s that Spirit that gives us the authority and power that we talked about earlier. If you have accepted Christ but still feel you are not living up to the what God created you to be and you are not being the you that God intends you to be, you need to get in step with the Spirit. That’s what Paul said in Galatians 2:25
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Gal. 2:25
When we are struggling because it seems that darkness is winning the battle, when in our own efforts we feel frustrated, overwhelmed, disappointed, and at a loss of words or thought, when we need to know someone cares for us, understands us, loves, us, empowers us, and always welcomes us, we turn to the helper, the Holy Spirit that God gave us to live within us.
Bringing Healing To Our World
The result is that when we live in the power and authority that Jesus passed on to the apostles which in turn is passed on to us, we bring healing to our hurting world. Listen to Jesus words of instruction to the apostles in verses 7-8:
“As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” vss. 7-8
What the world really needs is healing and that healing comes from God. The greatness of God lies in the fact that he is both strong and gentle. He is tough minded when it comes to justice and he is tender with it comes mercy, love and grace.
Martin Luther King Jr. said: “God has two outstretched arms. On e is strong enough to surround us with justice, and one is gentle enough to embrace us with grace.
God gave us His Spirit to give us enough tough mindedness to transcend the worked and enough tenderness to live in it. That is no better seen then in Jesus and his love for us on the cross. Let’s celebrate communion.
