Homily on Matthew 10:16–23 :Sent Like Sheep Among Wolves”

“Sent Like Sheep Among Wolves” — A Human-Hearted Homily on Matthew 10:16–23 about Courage and Quiet Wisdom

Praise be to Jesus Christ 🙏 

There was a farmer who used to send his son to the market town every week to sell their vegetables. One day, the boy came home with tears in his eyes. Someone in the market had cheated him and laughed at him for being too simple. The father listened quietly and said, “Son, next week, go again. But this time, keep your eyes open, your words few, and your heart calm.” The boy went again. He learned. He was cheated no more. He became strong without becoming hard.

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, says something quite unusual: “Behold, I send you like sheep among wolves.” Most people remember this line but never pause to think of the word “sheep.” Not lions, not tigers, not even clever foxes — but sheep. That word is not a mistake. It is not weakness. It is the quiet strength of innocence and trust. That’s how Jesus sends us out.

A sheep has no claws. It does not bite. It does not hunt. And yet, it survives. How? By being with the shepherd. In the Bible, King David was once a shepherd boy. He fought lions and bears not because he was strong, but because he trusted the Lord. Saint Agnes was just a girl, yet she walked into martyrdom with the peace of a sheep — she did not shout, she did not run. But her courage roared louder than any soldier’s sword.

The real strength in this passage is not found in noise or power. It is found in the silence of the sheep who walks calmly among wolves because it listens to the voice of the shepherd. When Jesus says, “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves,” he’s not asking us to act like animals. He’s inviting us to keep our eyes wide open, our minds alert, and our hearts pure.

One small word stands out today — the word “as.” Not “be serpents,” but be wise as serpents. Not “be doves,” but be innocent as doves. “As” means you are not the animal, but you can learn from it. A serpent watches quietly. It knows when to move and when to stay still. A dove carries no poison. It is gentle, pure, and free. Can a man or woman of God carry both? Yes. Wisdom with gentleness. Alertness with purity. That is the heart of this Gospel.

Jesus also warns us: “You will be handed over… you will be hated… but do not worry.” And that is the part we do not like to hear. We want the mission, but not the wounds. But Jesus never hides the cross. He does not say “maybe” you will suffer. He says “you will.” Still, he says, “Do not be afraid. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.”

Many saints have lived this. Saint Maximilian Kolbe gave his life in a Nazi prison so another man could live. He was like a sheep, quiet and praying, even when they took him to die. Yet the guards said they had never seen such peace. That is the power of being with the Shepherd. You do not need to roar. You only need to trust.

So what is Jesus really asking of us today? Not to fight like wolves. Not to run like deer. But to walk like sheep, to think like serpents, to love like doves, and to trust like children. The world will never understand this way — but the Gospel was never about being understood by the world. It was about changing it.

One man once said, “The only real power is love, and love walks quietly.” That’s what Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel — the courage to walk quietly, wisely, and purely, even when surrounded by wolves.

Let us not be afraid. For we are sheep — but we are sheep who walk with the Shepherd.

Lord, give me the courage to walk gently, and the wisdom to trust You always.