From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 10:16-22
At that time, Jesus said unto His disciples: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. And so on.
Homily by St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople.
34 on Matthew.
It is as though He said Let not your heart be troubled although when I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, I bid you be harmless as doves for, albeit, if I would, I could now make things otherwise, and suffer not that ye should have to bear anything grievous, neither be at the mercy of the wolves as are other sheep, but on the contrary, could make you more dreadful to the lions than the lions to you nevertheless, thus must it needs be, and yourselves it will make more glorious, and My power it will wholly show forth. For thus was it that afterwards the Same Lord said unto Paul: My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. xii. 9. It is I that have made you to be what ye are.
But let us look what wisdom it is which the Lord requireth. It is the wisdom of the serpent. The serpent draweth all the rest of his body after his head, and it is no matter to him if his body be cut through, so long as he keepeth his head unharmed. Thus, O Christian, is it with thee. It is no matter to thee that for thy faith's sake thou shouldest lose all things else money, or body, or, if need be, life itself. thy faith is thy head, and the root of thy being hold fast to that, and, as long as thou hast that, although thou shouldest lose all things else, it will only be to receive them back again with interest an hundredfold. And thus it is that the Lord biddeth us, not to be single-hearted only, nor wise only, but both together, that therefrom we may be strong.
- St John Chrysostom
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