OUR FATHER  WHOSE SPIRIT WILL GIVE US THE WORDS TO SPEAK WHEN WE ARE DRAGGED BEFORE KINGS

The Lord Jesus, having explained to His disciples mission to which He was commisioning them, laid out for them the hazards they would face but assured them that even in the face of religious violence and political oppression, they would be under the care of the Spirit of God and He would provide everything they required including the words they needed to speak before the councils, governors and kings.

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

The metaphor the Lord gave to illustrate the nature of their mission was the image of sending sheep out on a mission among wolves.

The sheep would be approaching wolves in their dens to offer them the good news of the kingdom but to the wolves, the sheep would be seen vulnerable prey and so Jesus advised the disciples to be as cunning as serpents and as harmless as doves. They were to be wary of men and understand that the message of the kingdom of God they were bringing would, in some cases, stir up harsh reactions against them.

In the heated atmosphere of persecution and the attempt to suppress their message, the Lord told them not to worry about trying to cobble together verbal defences and explanations but rather, the Holy Spirit would furnish them with what to say and how to say it on the fly.

Amen.

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