Since, due to my travels, I am unable to provide a new homily for this week, I share an excerpt and link from St. John Chrysostom’s homily on Matthew 10:16: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Why this one, when it treats a verse outside the current week’s pericope? In short, I could not find a readily available patristic commentary that covers this week’s lectionary selection precisely, but John’s reflection and analysis of the “sheep amidst wolves” image in verse 16 follows closely the Lord’s exhortation to the disciples begun in 10:1.
You might imagine that next week (the twelfth week in Ordinary Time) picks up where this selection left off, but it does not. Instead of continuing from verse 9, it skips to verse 26, effectively leaving out this provocative verse.
Excerpt from St. John Chrysostom’s homily on Matthew 10:16 (full homily here):
What confidence then will there be for us? What favor? There are no stripes, no prisons, no rulers, no synagogues, nor aught else of that kind to set upon us; yea, quite on the contrary we rule and prevail. For both kings are godly, and there are many honors for Christians, and precedences, and distinctions, and immunities, and not even so do we prevail. And whereas they being daily led to execution, both teachers and disciples, and bearing innumerable stripes, and continual brandings, were in greater luxury than such as abide in Paradise; we who have endured no such thing, not even in a dream, are softer than any wax.
“But they,” it will be said, “wrought miracles.” Did this then keep them from the scourge? Did it free them from persecution? Nay, for this is the strange thing, that they suffered such things often even at the hands of them whom they benefited, and not even so were they confounded, receiving only evil for good. But thou if thou bestow on any one any little benefit, and then be requited with anything unpleasant, art confounded, art troubled, and repentest of that which thou hast done.
If now it should happen, as I pray it may not happen nor at any time fall out, that there be a war against churches, and a persecution, imagine how great will be the ridicule, how sore the reproaches. And very naturally—for when no one exercises himself in the wrestling school, how shall he be distinguished in the contests? What champion, not being used to the trainer, will be able, when summoned by the Olympic contests, to show forth anything great and noble against his antagonist? Ought we not every day to wrestle and fight and run? See ye not them that are called Pentathli, when they have no antagonists, how they fill a sack with much sand, and hanging it up try their full strength thereupon? And they that are still younger practice the fight against their enemies upon the persons of their companions.
These do thou also emulate, and practice the wrestlings of self-denial. For indeed there are many that provoke to anger, and incite to lust, and kindle a great flame. Stand therefore against thy passions, bear nobly the mental pangs, that thou mayest endure also those of the body.