Luke 10:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consider how He has prepared the designated teachers of all creation—diligent workers marked by fervent commitment, capable of achieving the glory found in apostolic triumphs. They prioritize their sacred mission over worldly concerns, demonstrating such courage that they transcend all fear, unperturbed by challenges or even death itself for the sake of Christ. For when He commands them to ‘go,’ it is this call that instills in them bravery, ignites a passion for holy victories, fortifies them against temptations, and empowers them to face persecution without retreat.

Similar to valiant commanders rallying their troops as battle ensues, urging them to stand firm against an advancing enemy, Jesus sends His disciples to confront a multitude of unbelievers, asserting, ‘Go; behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves.’ 'But Lord, how can sheep engage with wolves? Has a wild beast ever coexisted peacefully with a lamb? Shepherds struggle to safeguard their flocks by gathering them into pens, deterring predators with barking dogs, and even risking their lives to defend the vulnerable. How then does He send the holy apostles, innocent as sheep, willingly into the presence of wolves? Is danger not apparent? Are they not mere prey? How can a lamb overcome a wolf? How can gentle souls prevail against ferocious beasts? Yet He assures them, for all have Me as their Shepherd: the humble and the mighty, the educators and the instructed. I will be with you, aiding and rescuing you from all harm. I will pacify wild beasts, transform wolves into sheep, elevate those who persecute to helpers of the persecuted, and convert those who oppose My servants into partners in their righteous endeavors. For both creating and not creating, I render all things, and there is nothing that can thwart My will.

This transformation is evident in historical examples. The apostle Paul was once a blasphemer, a ruthless adversary to Christ's followers, more menacing than any wolf. Did he persist in that behavior? Did he remain a wolf to his last breath? Certainly not; he was called by Christ and underwent a remarkable transformation. This former wolf became as gentle as a lamb and began to preach the faith he once chased. Such a dramatic change astounded everyone, glorifying Christ who converted him from a predator into a lamb.

Earlier, the divine James foresaw this transformation in his blessings when he said, ‘Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall eat flesh, and in the evening he shall divide his food.’ Paul, from the tribe of Benjamin, once fiercely resisted those who followed Christ but later, akin to the transition from morning to evening, he began to share the spiritual nourishment. He preached Jesus, offering spiritual milk to the immature while providing solid food to the mature.

Let us now consider the calling of the nations. Were they not, at one time, as ferocious as wolves against the ministers of the gospel of salvation? Yet, through Christ, they were transformed into gentleness and innocence. They too persecuted the holy apostles, attacking not just as men confront wolves, but as predators savagely assaulting sheep. Despite calling them to salvation, they responded with stoning, imprisonment, and relentless pursuit. However, those who once had been fierce later became meek and innocent, resembling the sheep they had once hunted.

And who brought about this change but Jesus Christ our Lord? For He ‘broke down the hedge that was in the midst, abolishing the law of commandments that divided; made two nations into one new man; made peace, and reconciled them both in one body to the Father.’ The integration of the Gentiles with believers exemplifies a harmony of mind and spirit, uniting the unclean and sinful with the saints, as the prophet Isaiah proclaims by the Spirit, ‘And the wolf shall graze with the lamb, and the leopard shall rest with the kid, and the bear and the cow shall graze together; and the ox and the lion shall eat sustenance together, and their young shall be with one another.’

Reflect, dear friends, and recognize that those sanctified by faith did not adopt the practices of the Gentiles. Instead, those called from among the Gentiles became conformed to them. Beasts such as wolves and lions, bears, and leopards feast on flesh, whereas the gentle creatures, children, lambs, and calves, graze on grass. The predators, as prophesied, will lie down with the lambs and share their food, demonstrating that it is not the gentle who have yielded to the robust ways of the savage but rather the savages who have imitated the meek. They have forsaken their cruel nature for gentleness, suitable for the holy, undergoing a transformation through Christ, where wolves have become lambs, united in love for God.

This is what the ancient hierophant Moses prophesied, proclaiming, ‘Rejoice, ye nations, with His people; exalt God.’ Therefore, let us give Him glory and praise, for He is the Savior and Lord of all; to Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We noted earlier that foxes represent heretics who profess faith in Christ but ultimately reject Him due to their affinity for falsehood. The Lord does not welcome them into His fold; rather, He expels them.

Now, let us delve into what wolves signify. These predators pose a threat to the sheepfold, lurking around the shepherd's huts yet never daring to enter. They bide their time, waiting for the dogs to be asleep and the shepherds to be absent or careless, so they can quickly seize the sheep by the throat. They are heartless and voracious creatures; their bodies are naturally rigid and difficult to maneuver. They charge forward abruptly, making them susceptible to traps. According to Pliny the Elder, wolves possess the innate ability to steal a man's voice if they notice him first; however, if a man sees them first, it confounds them greatly. If the illumination of the spiritual truths does not shine through our discussion today, then the audience may believe the wolves saw me first and silenced me, which is my fear.

Could we not compare these wolves to heretics who besiege Christ’s flock, growling at the barriers more fervently during the night than in the day? To the unfaithful, it is perpetually night, as they try to obscure the light of Christ with their twisted interpretations and, as much as they are able, dim it. They hover around the enclosures but lack the audacity to enter into the fold of Christ, thereby missing out on healing, as Christ is unwilling to admit them into His presence, where the wounded traveler was restored by the Good Samaritan, who tended to his injuries and brought him to an inn for care (Luke 10:30-35). Those who do not seek the Healer will not receive restoration; otherwise, they would not belittle Him.

They lie in wait until the shepherd is absent, seeking to kill or exile the shepherds of the Church, for in the presence of shepherds, they cannot prey upon Christ's sheep. These predators aim to deprive the flock of Christ. With their rigid, sinful thoughts, they remain trapped in their transgressions; thus, the apostle counsels us to avoid heretics after a single warning (Titus 3:10), recognizing their corrupt nature. Christ, the true Interpreter of the Scriptures, confounds them, rendering their assaults ineffective and harmless.

When they outsmart someone with their convoluted reasoning, they cause that person to become numbed— for a person who acknowledges the Son of God in a manner inconsistent with His true glory becomes dulled. Be cautious lest a heretic steal your voice! If you do not expose him, he may infiltrate unnoticed; but when you identify his deceit, you need not fear losing your divinely-given voice. Guard against the poison of treacherous reasoning; it penetrates the soul, courses down the throat, and injures vital parts. The bites of heretics are severe; more ferocious and greedy than actual beasts, they exhibit unlimited avarice and malevolence.

Let us not be deceived by their human semblance; beneath the surface lurks a beast, while they present themselves as men. Thus, it is certain they fit the divine judgment of our Lord Jesus: Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep, yet inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-16). If someone finds their appearance appealing, let him consider the fruit of their actions. You may hear that someone is designated as a bishop, perhaps referring to the Arian bishop Mercurinus, who came from northern Durostorum to Milan and, backed by Empress Justina, attempted to usurp the church from the Orthodox community there. His robbery is notorious— he wears the guise of a sheep, but his actions are those of a thief; outwardly he is a sheep, but inwardly he is a wolf, insatiable in his plundering. Wrapped in the chill of Scythian frost, with a bloodied mouth he prowls, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Do you not perceive that this is a wolf whose ravenous appetite seeks to spill the blood of believers?

He howls instead of preaching, since he denies the very Creator of the Word. His blasphemous proclamations resemble the growl of a beast, for he does not confess the Lord Jesus as the Source of eternal life. We witnessed his wolf-like howls when calamity fell upon the world. There he displayed his sharp teeth and bulging jaws, desiring to silence all, yet only succeeded in silencing himself. To avoid such wolves, the Lord instructs us on what we must pursue: Take with you neither sack, nor purse, nor shoes (Luke 10:4).

We must reflect on this inverse reality, as we are sent forth as sheep among wolves, tasked with maintaining our innocence and resisting the clutches of wickedness. A true preacher is called not to do harm but to endure it, so that through his humility he may temper the fury of the hostile and mend the injuries wrought by sin in others, even as he himself suffers humiliation. If the zeal for righteousness leads someone to feel anger towards those under his care, that anger must spring from love, not from malice, allowing for both rightful admonitions and a heartfelt paternal affection towards those he appears to chastise. The true leader exemplifies this when he avoids favoritism, when he does not yearn for worldly gain, and when he refuses to let the weights of earthly pleasures bend the soul’s will.

Additionally, in the discourse directed at the seventy, there is a directive absent from the teachings given to the twelve: the apostles were instructed not to greet anyone on the way (Luke 10:4). Eastern greetings tend to be quite lengthy, implying that this instruction emphasizes the importance of urgency in their mission. The apostles were to carry out the work entrusted to them without unnecessary delays (cf. 4 Sam. 4:29). This also suggests that the message was imparted by Christ towards the conclusion of His earthly ministry, urging the apostles to promptly visit the cities and towns assigned to them, ensuring the completion of their sacred mission before the culmination of His time on earth.

9): Jesus instructed the seventy disciples not to greet anyone along the way, while this directive was not given to the twelve apostles. In Eastern cultures, greetings were not merely expressed through a nod or handshake as in the West, but involved deep bows, embraces, kisses, and various well-wishing phrases, which could be time-consuming (Bishop Michael). The seventy disciples needed to focus on preaching in the towns and regions where Jesus was almost in their midst, necessitating their diligence in avoiding distractions that would detract from the mission at hand.