Be prepared to be a sheep among wolves

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

CHRIST never sugarcoated the cost of following him. As he sent his apostles to the “lost sheep of Israel” (Mt. 10:16-23), he gave them a sobering warning: they would face rejection, persecution, and suffering. They would be hauled before councils, scourged in synagogues, and dragged before governors and kings because they bore his name. Their trials, however, would become a testimony not only to Israel but also to the Gentiles.

Still, Christ did not leave them trembling in fear. He immediately gave them an assurance that remains just as relevant today. “Do not worry,” he said. When they were called to defend themselves, they were not to be anxious about preparing clever speeches. God himself would provide the words. “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

What a liberating lesson! Christ was asking his disciples to trust more in divine grace than in human preparation. Their greatest strength would not come from eloquence or strategy but from the Holy Spirit working within them.

Yet this trust was never an excuse for carelessness. Jesus paired it with another command that has lost none of its force: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Christians are expected to combine prudence with purity, intelligence with humility, and courage with gentleness. They should not be gullible before evil, but neither should they answer evil with more evil. They must remain meek without becoming weak.

Christ also taught them that prudence sometimes requires retreat. Escaping danger when necessary is not cowardice if it allows the mission to continue. The goal is not to seek persecution but to remain faithful to the task of proclaiming Christ wherever circumstances permit.

That same mission belongs to every Christian today. To accept Christ’s call is to embrace a love that reflects God’s own love—a love that perseveres, sacrifices, and remains steadfast regardless of the cost.

It is much like the promise exchanged by husband and wife on their wedding day: to love each other for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death. Authentic Christian commitment is measured not by convenience but by fidelity.

Such perseverance, however, does not happen automatically. It demands constant nourishment. The spiritual and supernatural dimensions of love must be cultivated through prayer, reflection, and a living relationship with God. Otherwise, commitment gradually becomes shallow, driven only by emotion or personal comfort.

In today’s culture, love is often reduced to feelings, attraction, or emotional satisfaction. While emotions and passions are valuable gifts, they cannot carry love by themselves. Feelings change. Circumstances shift. Difficulties arise.

That is why genuine love must be anchored in the higher powers of the human person—the intellect that recognizes what is true and good, and the will that freely chooses to remain faithful even when emotions fade. These are the faculties that lift love beyond the merely human into the supernatural.

Ultimately, God is the source, pattern, strength, and destiny of every authentic commitment. The closer we remain to him, the more enduring our love becomes. Prayer is therefore not an optional devotion but the lifeline that keeps commitment alive.

Life will always bring setbacks, disappointments, and unexpected crosses. But the person whose love is rooted in God will not be easily shaken. Sustained by divine grace, that love continues to burn through every trial, remains faithful amid life’s uncertainties, and bears lasting witness to Christ in a world that desperately needs both courage and hope.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com