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Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Luke 10:3 (ESV)
Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
Matthew 16:10
1. The Call to Go
When Jesus sent out His disciples, He didn’t promise comfort, applause, or safety. He said, “I send you out as lambs among wolves.” It’s a striking image — gentle, harmless creatures walking into danger. Yet this is the essence of Christian calling: being in the world but not of it, living with purity amid corruption, and shining light in places that resist it.
Many of us want to serve God in environments that welcome us. But Jesus calls us to serve even when we are misunderstood, criticized, or surrounded by opposition. The mission of a lamb is not to fight the wolves, but to reveal the Shepherd through meekness, peace, and steadfast love.
2. The Lesson of the Loaves
In Matthew 16:10, Jesus reminds His disciples of the seven loaves that fed four thousand people. They had forgotten how He provided before — how abundance came from scarcity. The same disciples who witnessed miracles still struggled to trust.
When we are “lambs among wolves,” fear easily creeps in: Will I be strong enough? Will I have what I need?
But Jesus whispers, “Don’t you remember?”
He reminds us that the same God who multiplied bread in the wilderness can multiply grace, wisdom, and courage in our weakness. He who provided bread for thousands will surely sustain one obedient heart walking in faith.
3. The Spirit of the Dove
The dove (voromailala) is a recurring biblical symbol — of the Spirit descending at Jesus’ baptism, of peace after the flood, of innocence and purity. When Jesus said to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), He was showing the balance of Christian character: to be discerning, but not deceitful; gentle, but not naïve.
As lambs, we need courage to face wolves.
As doves, we need purity and peace to remain uncorrupted by the world.
The Holy Spirit gives us both — courage and calmness, boldness and beauty, strength and softness. The dove reminds us that the Spirit is with us even when we are surrounded by hostility.
4. Living Between Wolves and Winds
To live as a believer today is to walk between wolves and winds. The “wolves” are the pressures — societal, spiritual, or personal — that challenge our faith. The “winds” are the changing circumstances that test our trust. Yet God has not left us defenceless. The Shepherd walks beside His lambs, and the Dove hovers above them.
We do not conquer wolves by becoming like them. We conquer by remaining who Christ made us to be — gentle, faithful, and filled with His Spirit. Our victory is not in outsmarting evil but in outlasting it through love.
5. Reflection and Prayer
Am I walking as a lamb or reacting like a wolf when I face opposition?
Do I remember God’s past faithfulness when I face new challenges?
Is the dove of peace still resting upon me, or have I allowed fear and anger to drive it away?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You send me out as a lamb among wolves,
but You go before me as my Shepherd.
Teach me to trust You even when I am surrounded by danger.
Remind me of Your past faithfulness when my faith grows weak.
Fill me with the Spirit, gentle as a dove and wise in Your ways.
May my life reflect Your peace, purity, and power,
so that even among wolves, Your love will be known.
Amen.
The Most Rev Gilbert Rateloson
Primate of the Anglican Church of the Indian Ocean
