Gospel in Art: Be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves

Serpent and Dove, by Aaron Spong, 2020, Graphite on paper © Aaron Spong artist

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 14 July 2023
Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: 'Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.

'Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. 'Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.'

Reflection on the pencil drawing

Our drawing by Colorado-based artist, Aaron Spong, illustrates today's reading well, where Jesus instructs His disciples to 'be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves'. Whilst the white dove seems to be in the grip of the serpent, they are working together, gazing in the same direction. The serpent isn't strangling the dove; nor is the dove picking at the serpent. Their focus is in joint togetherness gazing at the same goal.

Both the serpent and the dove are mentioned regularly all throughout Scripture, so the disciples listening to Jesus would have been very familiar with these two creatures:

the serpent: the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden; in Exodus, the staffs of Moses and Aaron are turned into serpents; in Numbers 21, God sends fiery serpents, etc…

The dove: a dove appears in the story of Noah's ark; the Spirit of God descends as a dove upon Jesus at his baptism, etc…

The two creatures seem almost to contrast with each other. The serpent was crafty and shrewd in Genesis 3. The dove is seen as beautiful, harmless and innocent throughout scripture. That is exactly why Jesus is using the images of both to make His point. When we build our Christian identity, Jesus wants both of these aspects to be present in our lives. As Christians we will be as vulnerable as sheep before wolves. We have to be as clever and cunning as serpents, so as to protect ourselves from unnecessary hostility. At the same time, we are to harm no one, remaining as innocent and as free of malice as doves.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-10-16-23-2023/