SHREWD AS A SNAKE; INNOCENT AS A DOVE…!!

Let’s read Proverbs 10:8 & Matthew 10: 16-20 in tandem

“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin”

Jesus said - “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”

It is hard to find a true Christian whose favourite animal is the “snake”. This is because a true Christian would know that God had actually cursed the serpent (large snake) at the very beginning (read Gen 3:14). 

Then why is Jesus telling his disciples to be ..as shrewd as snakes…?

Being “SHREWD” means to have sharp powers of judgement. “ASTUTE” is another word for “SHREWD”, which means - having an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage.

 

So, does Jesus want His disciples to imitate Satan? Absolutely not! We are to be imitators of God (read Ephesians 5:1 NLT), not of Satan. Just being “shrewd” is a SIN, which is why Jesus did not stop His exhortation there; He continued to say that we are to be INNOCENT as doves at the same time..! Jesus showed in and through His life that these two (shrewdness and innocence) characteristics can be co-inhabited if they are correctly balanced by the wisdom of God. A classic example of Jesus being “Shrewd” (clever) and “Innocent” (harmless) at the same time is the incident of the Woman Caught in Adultery (read John 8:1-11).

A Christian’s primary function is to be a witness of Christ. Being a witness is not a cakewalk. It requires wisdom, humbleness and most importantly love. As witnesses of Christ you and I may be “arrested” (cornered) at times by unbelieving gentiles (non-christians) or half-believing hypocrites (fake-christians). If you and I are true disciples of Jesus Christ, we need not worry about what to say or how to say it. The indwelling Holy Spirit will reply on our behalf, uttering the right words in the right way. All we have to do is let the Holy Spirit use our tongue as a tool to express Himself..!!

Be WISE in heart and not just in mind; be Christ-like and not spiritually blind..!