Jesus said to the Twelve:

16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. 18 Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19 But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.”

Matthew 10:16-23 - World English Bible

What are the dangers of missionary work? For the followers of Jesus it could mean suffering and death, both in public and in the clan. What attitudes should they have entering this endeavor? They should be as wily as the devil (“serpents” in 10:16), yet have the attributes of the angels (“doves”). In other words, they should be knowing, yet honorable.

Suffering could happen in public, both in the religious sphere (synagogues) and the secular arena (in the courts of governors and kings). Even if they were presumed guilty, they were to evangelize, for the Spirit would give them the words to speak. So, they were not to worry.

Persecution could come within the family, as well. Ancient Roman law (called “Pater Familias”) recognized the right of the patriarch to protect the honor of the clan, even if its reputation demanded the death of a family member. If a family member became a disciple, such conversion could be disruptive, even resulting in hatred and violence. In ancient society, the honor of the clan outweighed the faith of the individual. But, to the disciple, the need to evangelize mean more than the good of the extended family. The one who survived persecution would be saved. The need to tell others about Christ trumped even one's own honor, for escape in order to spread the Good News was a greater imperative than the glory of a martyr's death.

What are the costs of evangelization in your life?