Cliff Loesch January 27, 2008 Matthew 10:16-22 Finding Some Balance        In 2006 the New York Times reported that the police in Phoenix learned some valuable information from a 23-year-old methamphetamine user they had just arrested.  The young man showed the police how he was able to steal identities by going to a local government website.  The site contained a list of recent divorces and included thousands of names that included addresses, bank account numbers, and scans of signatures!  The young man revealed that it was pretty easy to use that information to steal identities and to print checks in his victims' names-with the wonderful help he received from the county recorder's office.  Identity theft in Arizona runs about twice the national average.  In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission reported that about ten million Americans (or 1 in 30) had their identities stolen, with losses to the economy of 48 billion dollars.  A subsequent survey showed that the number of victims had declined to nine million in 2005-"but that the losses had risen to 56.6 billion."  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/us/30identity.html      I also looked up an article this week about computer viruses.  Every virus has to be created by someone.  To explain why people write viruses-which really have no purpose except to cause problems-the article said it involves, first of all, the same psychology that drives arsonists and vandals.  Some people apparently take pleasure in creating trouble.  There is also the thrill of watching things blow up.  And then there is the Mt. Everest theory of why people create viruses: because it is there-that is, the challenge is there.  (see http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm)  So energy and innovation that could have been put to some good use in our world are diverted to try to cause problems for the sake of causing problems.  And the people who cause problems seem to be pretty good at it-and they also seem to be here to stay.  So software companies have to spend lots of money and time to create ever-more-sophisticated defenses.  And all computer users must spend time and money to try to protect their own systems.      Yes, there are a lot of bad people out there.  The current issue of Consumer Reports talks about scams and says, "Otherwise smart people can be no match for professional con artists, who are virtuosos at playing on people's vulnerabilities.  Their scams cross into almost every area of personal finance: can't-lose investments you must grab now, fake health insurance that promises coverage for low premiums, incredible bargain prices for normally expensive goods or services."  They offer some practical advice to help you protect yourself-but make the point that you can lose your entire life savings in a financial scam.  (February, 2008, p.19)       First Corinthians 13 is called the Love Chapter and it describes love in very beautiful ways.  Starting in verse 4, it says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  This is a picture of love that always believes in others, and that seems to trust others entirely.  It always looks for the best and expects the best.  And this seems like the kind of love Jesus taught.  But is this realistic?  In our imperfect world where apparently there are people ready to scam us out of our last dollar, how can we afford to be so full of trusting love?      First Corinthians 13 shares the ideal.  It gives us a picture of what pure, perfect love would look like.  And I do not want to discount the beautiful picture of love that it paints in any way.  As we read that passage, no doubt each and every one of us feel a sense of longing-a feeling that "if only" the world could live by those words.  Though First Corinthians 13 shares what perfect love would look like-it isn't the whole story on love.  It doesn't say anything about what we sometimes call "tough love."  And, indeed, sometimes tough love has a place in our world.      The example of the 23-year-old-methamphetamine-using-identity-thief who was arrested in Phoenix comes to mind.  If this young man were your son or your friend…what would you do?  You would love him anyway.  You would love him deeply and without reservation.  But you would also realize that it might not be in his best interest if you always try to rescue him from every predicament he gets himself into nor would it be helpful to enable him to keep going the direction he seems to be going.  And this is a recipe for conflict-conflict within yourself about how do you love him with a First Corinthians 13-kind of trusting, unconditional love without enabling him to keep going down the wrong path; and it's a recipe for conflict with the young man because his ideas of how you should show love and yours are probably not going to match.  You need a lot of wisdom in a situation like that.  And we find ourselves in many situations in life where we need a lot of wisdom.      Jesus said some things in Matthew 10 that are possibly a little hard to understand.  Basically, he is preparing his disciples to be ready to face the persecution they will inevitably face.  But he also makes this statement: "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."  I've always been intrigued by that statement.  To be innocent as doves seems like something Jesus would teach-and surely to be innocent as doves means to be entirely trusting of others; to be totally loving; to expect nothing but the best from other people.  But we live in a world of scam artists and computer hackers and identity thieves.  You cannot be totally trusting of everyone all the time.  Jesus understood this-and that's why this statement is so interesting.  Be wise as serpents.  To me this says understand the ways of the world; don't be taken in by the schemes or scams of others; recognize the plots around you or the underlying motives of others; if possible, try not to become their victim.  In some ways this seems out of harmony with what we usually think of when we think of the ministry of Christ.  Jesus laid down his life.  He spoke not a word in his own defense.  It seemed that he allowed himself to get caught up in the plots against him when he might have had other options.  I mean, he came riding into Jerusalem to the cheers of a crowd.  That's a pretty big announcement: "I'm here."  And only one week later he was crucified.  But you have to remember that Jesus was fully aware of those plots against him.  He knew exactly what they had in mind.  And also, if you'll notice, you see some places in the New Testament where he did evade their schemes.  He knew what was coming, but in some ways he delayed things a bit-waiting until the time was just right.  He was aware of what was going on around him.  And he used that worldly wisdom to full advantage.      It's important to note, I think, that Jesus did not simply teach in Matthew 10, "Be wise as serpents."  Nor did he tell his disciples only to be "innocent as doves."  No, it wasn't one or the other.  It was both-at the same time.  Understand the ways of the world on the one hand-yet at the same time, maintain your childlike innocence. And though this passage is primarily about preparing his followers for the persecution they would face, I also see a message about balance.  What would it be like to live in this world only one way or the other?  To be innocent as doves without the balance that wisdom could bring would make you more susceptible to being taken in by schemes and scams.  On the other hand, to be wise as serpents without the balancing effect of a trusting and loving innocence might make you too suspicious of others, perhaps only seeing the bad in the world and never the good.  Both are needed-a kind of balance, if you will.      And this reminder of the need for balance in this area no doubt calls out to us about the need for balance in so many other areas of life.  How do we find the right balance between work and rest?  Between outward ministry and inward renewal?  Between action and prayer?  Between serious and lighthearted?  Between organized and spontaneous?  Between cautious and carefree?  Life requires a mix of all of these.  Jesus taught the need for balance between informed cautiousness in dealing with the world right alongside an innocent, trusting love.  May God show us exactly what is needed in the many complicated situations we face-and also show us how to find balance in every area of life.