You've felt it in the marketplace—the pressure to hunt when Jesus sent you to graze. What does it mean to build differently in territory ruled by predators?
Another great post! To me, I want to remember that in a Kingdom economy we seek to multiply goodness instead of gold. One thing I would like for you to unpack is that in the rest of the verse that Jesus tells his followers to be "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." It seems that our innocence should be marked by shrewdness and tenderness: an almost paradoxical tension.
The Greek word phrónimoi, translated here with shrewd, means rather thoughtful, cautious, able to read situations, survival and goal oriented. Jesus appreciates this quality of an animal who is generally known for being cunning and evil.
It is interesting how Matthew uses this word in other passages. In Matthew 24:45 Jesus talks about the "wise" servant. In the next chapter Jesus talks about the five "wise" virgins. Both passages show characters that hope for the kingdom of God and live in preparation for it.
"Multiplying goodness instead of gold" captures something I've been circling around.
You're right that there's more to unpack. Matthew's version includes that paradox: "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves." I think the shrewdness Jesus calls for is defensive rather than predatory—situational awareness, recognizing the wolves' tactics, understanding the game even while refusing to play it by their rules. Discernment, not manipulation.
But you're touching on a tension worth exploring more deeply. How do we stay genuinely innocent while being wise enough to survive? I suspect the answer has something to do with what our shrewdness is for—protecting what's precious versus extracting what we want.
Thank you for pushing on this. It's exactly the kind of thinking that helps the next post take shape.
Another great post! To me, I want to remember that in a Kingdom economy we seek to multiply goodness instead of gold. One thing I would like for you to unpack is that in the rest of the verse that Jesus tells his followers to be "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." It seems that our innocence should be marked by shrewdness and tenderness: an almost paradoxical tension.
The Greek word phrónimoi, translated here with shrewd, means rather thoughtful, cautious, able to read situations, survival and goal oriented. Jesus appreciates this quality of an animal who is generally known for being cunning and evil.
It is interesting how Matthew uses this word in other passages. In Matthew 24:45 Jesus talks about the "wise" servant. In the next chapter Jesus talks about the five "wise" virgins. Both passages show characters that hope for the kingdom of God and live in preparation for it.
Thanks Scott.
"Multiplying goodness instead of gold" captures something I've been circling around.
You're right that there's more to unpack. Matthew's version includes that paradox: "shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves." I think the shrewdness Jesus calls for is defensive rather than predatory—situational awareness, recognizing the wolves' tactics, understanding the game even while refusing to play it by their rules. Discernment, not manipulation.
But you're touching on a tension worth exploring more deeply. How do we stay genuinely innocent while being wise enough to survive? I suspect the answer has something to do with what our shrewdness is for—protecting what's precious versus extracting what we want.
Thank you for pushing on this. It's exactly the kind of thinking that helps the next post take shape.