We now proceed to verses 11 and 12 of the tenth chapter:
And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into a house, salute it, saying: Peace be to this house!
Saint John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, speaks in an exalted manner about the discernment the apostles were required to exercise when choosing the place where they would stay. He writes: “When Jesus said that the labourer is worthy of his food, He did not thereby open the door to all people; on the contrary, even in this He commands you to proceed with great caution, which will serve to secure both respect and sustenance. For if the man who receives you is worthy, he will certainly provide for you, especially if you seek nothing beyond what is necessary. Yet Christ not only commands that the worthy be sought out, but also that you do not move from house to house, lest you offend the one who received you, and lest you expose yourselves to rumours of currying favour or frivolity.” Thus, it is erroneous to act without thought or discernment. The Lord has given us a mind so that we might use it in accordance with His will.
Blessed Jerome continues Chrysostom’s line of thought and adds the following words: “It was necessary that the host be chosen on the basis of a good reputation among the people and the judgment of his neighbours, so that the dignity of the preaching would not be dishonoured by the bad reputation of the one who welcomed the apostles into his home. Although the Gospel was to be preached to all, only the host who was chosen was to be a man who would not only do good to the one staying with him, but who would also receive from the apostles, for this is the meaning of the words: ‘who is worthy’—that is, that a man should know he receives more grace than the mercy he shows to the apostles.” These words of Blessed Jerome, concerning the character and awareness that those who support the preachers must possess, proved to be of great importance for the success of the Church’s mission. There were several instances in which significant problems arose precisely because of those who were supposed to assist the mission. Over time, they began to think that they themselves were important, and that the success of the mission depended solely on them. This, of course, only created difficulties.
Here are the next three verses:
And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Saint Hilary of Poitiers addresses a difficulty that may arise when reading these verses. He explains: “These words compel deep reflection. For if the apostles are not to avail themselves of hospitality until they have discerned who is worthy, in what way can the unworthy afterward be revealed? And how shall such a one hear their words and reject them? We need not be concerned about the righteous man; but if the host proves unworthy, they must not remain beneath his roof. What benefit is there, then, in inquiring and seeking out the worthy, if both respect and judgment are required concerning the unworthy host? The Lord instructs them not to enter the houses nor accept the hospitality of those who either reject Christ or do not know Him; in every city they must discern who among its inhabitants is worthy, and only then lodge with him.”
This spiritual principle was also articulated by Fr. Daniil Sysoev, who explained that we, as Orthodox Christians, must possess a kind of “spiritual scanner,” as he called it—an ability to assess during conversation who our interlocutor is, what his spiritual state may be, and whether a meaningful conversation is possible. If we perceive that someone is openly opposed to God and to the faith, we should not enter into closer engagement with him, nor speak to him about the things of faith.
Saint John of Kronstadt writes the following thought, which is of particular importance for the mission of the Church: “Whether they listen to us or not, we must preach. We fulfil our task: if they do not heed us, they will have the Just Judge Who will demand of them strictly on the Day of Judgment; whereas we shall receive a reward according to our labour.” These words may at first seem to contradict those we have just considered, yet they are far from contradictory. Saint John here speaks of the fundamental necessity of preaching as such: the Church bears witness to God through her proclamation, and the people choose whether they will receive this word or reject it. When it comes to speaking with an individual, however, the teaching of Blessed Jerome and Fr. Daniil must remain in our minds.
Saint Chrysostom draws attention to another significant point and explains that the apostolic greeting implies something deeper and greater. He writes: “Furthermore, in order to show that their greeting is not an ordinary word but a blessing, Jesus says: if the house is worthy, then your peace shall come upon it; but if they offend you, then the first punishment will be that the house is deprived of peace; the second will be that it becomes liable to the same lot as Sodom. Yet someone may say: what benefit have we from their punishment? Such that there will be found houses of the worthy for you. What does the expression ‘shake off the dust from your feet’ mean? It signifies that the apostles took nothing from such people; or it may serve as testimony to the long journey the apostles undertook on their behalf. Notice also that the Lord had not yet bestowed all gifts upon the apostles. He does not yet give them foreknowledge to discern who is worthy and who is not, but commands them to learn and wait until experience reveals this. Why did Jesus Himself dwell with the tax collector? Because the tax collector, having changed, became worthy. Observe also that, having deprived the apostles of everything, the Lord grants them all things by permitting them to dwell in the houses of those who accepted their teaching, and to enter such homes carrying nothing with them. In this way they were freed from worldly concerns, while they also assured those who received them that they had come solely for their salvation—both by bringing nothing with them and by requesting nothing beyond what was necessary. Finally, they did not enter the houses of all without distinction. The Lord desired that the apostles be honoured not only for their miracles, but even more for their virtues. Indeed, nothing so distinguishes virtue as possessing nothing superfluous and being content with the least.”
Blessed Theophylact reminds us of the reference to the people of Sodom and writes: “The punishment will be lighter for the Sodomites than for those who did not receive the apostles, for the Sodomites received their punishment already in this life, and therefore will be tormented less in the life to come.”
Euthymius Zigabenus continues the explanation of these verses in the following manner: “However, Christ now declares that greater punishment awaits those who do not accept and do not listen to the apostolic words, for Sodom and Gomorrah did not, as these people did, behold countless miracles, nor did the Saviour send His disciples into their land. By saying, ‘it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment,’ He shows that even in the age to come the Sodomites and Gomorrheans will be punished. From this it is evident that certain sins are punished both here and there. Therefore, let us tremble at this warning, knowing that whoever does not keep and fulfil what the Apostles taught clearly neither accepts nor listens to their words. Why will an entire city be punished if only one man refuses to receive them? Because the others did not restrain him, seeing how those who rejected the apostles publicly persecuted Christ’s disciples.”
Verse 16 reads:
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Saint Ambrose of Optina explains why the Lord here uses the serpent as an image of instruction for us. This great Russian saint writes as follows: “The divine interpreters explain that the serpent’s wisdom consists in the fact that when blows are inflicted upon its body, it strives in every way to protect its head. In the same manner, every Christian, when struck from all sides, ought to safeguard his spiritual head—that is, his faith in the Lord and in His Gospel teaching, which reveals the narrow and sorrowful path to all who desire salvation. Yet this affliction and hardship quickly pass, while the reward for them in the life to come is infinite, consisting in the delight of Paradise and an indescribable joy, as it is written: ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Cor. 2:9). All of this must be held continually in mind, in heart, and in memory, so that we may, through prudent struggle against the passions and adversities, sweeten them by the dove-like meekness of innocence, repeating within ourselves the very words our Redeemer and Deliverer addressed to God the Father in a similar circumstance: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’”
Saint John of Kronstadt adds that the safeguarding of our spiritual head implies also the safeguarding of our mind, for it is only through struggle with thoughts and prayer to God that we can withstand the devil. He writes: “A person must guard his head—that is, his mind within the heart. Concentrating in such a manner all his strength upon a single point, he must vigorously oppose the spirit of malice, who very quickly overthrows the soul’s powers when they are scattered. For this reason, it is not at all difficult for him to cast down those whose minds are dispersed.” Saint Basil the Great draws attention to yet another behaviour of this creature and invites us to draw from it a lesson for our own spiritual life. He writes: “For when it must shed its skin, the serpent enters a narrow passage where its body is compressed on all sides. By passing through it, it strips off its old skin. Thus perhaps this saying demands of us as well that, by walking the narrow and toilsome path, we strip away the old man and clothe ourselves with the new.” Therefore, this teaching can console us in moments when we endure painful or distressing circumstances, reminding us that in this way we too cast off the old man—provided, of course, that we endure rightly and place our trust in the Lord.
Euthymius Zigabenus also explains why the Lord uses the image of the dove. He writes: “I, the Almighty, send you forth to be wounded and harmed by malicious men, yet you must neither avenge yourselves nor protect yourselves with your hands. Why? Because by this very means you will overcome them most swiftly, and you will turn wolves into sheep. My power accomplishes all things, and your meekness will soften the savagery and harshness of the unbelievers. Insolence is not ordinarily tamed by insolence, but by meekness. He who seeks to heal the senseless must patiently endure their insults, keeping in mind only their deliverance from folly.”
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov offers an insightful explanation of what he calls the virtue of holy hatred. He writes: “When those who are close to us by flesh attempt to draw us away from following the will of God, let us show towards them a holy hatred, like that which lambs show toward wolves—not by transforming ourselves into wolves or defending ourselves with teeth against them. Through holy hatred toward our neighbours, we remain faithful to God, refusing to accept a sinful human will, even when those persons are our closest relatives. Let us bear with magnanimity the griefs they inflict upon us and pray for their salvation—never addressing them with sharp words or deeds akin to them, for such is the hatred of a fallen being, a hatred opposed to God.” His words serve simultaneously as an answer to a common dilemma frequently heard today—how we may remain faithful to God when those around us, even our closest relatives, are not.
Adapted for the contemporary reader based on Patristic commentary by Stanoje Stanković
