Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
An Indian farmer had crippling debts to the unscrupulous old village moneylender. The latter agreed to forgo all debts if he was allowed to marry the farmer’s beautiful young daughter. She and her father were horrified at the prospect, but they seemed to have no options left. The moneylender suggested they let providence decide the matter. He would put two pebbles in a bag – one black and one white – and whichever she picked out would decide her fate. The white one would mean debt released unconditionally, the black one would mean marriage. Or if she refused to pick a pebble at all, her father would be thrown into jail until the debt was paid. The moneylender picked up two pebbles off the path, but the daughter noticed they were both black. She was stuck: if she refused to take a pebble, her father would then be thrown in jail. If she picked a pebble, it meant sacrificing herself for her father’s debt and imprisonment. If she pulled both out and exposed the man as a cheat, she and her father would be victim to his spiteful vengeance. What could she possibly do?
She had her head firmly screwed on the right way: she took a pebble out of the bag but ‘accidentally’ fumbled it and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path, where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. Then, she apologized: “Oh, how clumsy of me! But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble was black, it would have to be assumed that she had picked the white one. The moneylender couldn’t admit his dishonesty. Thanks to her shrewdness, she and her father were free!
Shrewdness is a quality we don’t always aspire to, but Jesus endorses it fully. Coupled with innocence, it makes the perfect combination!
Lord, I choose to be as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove in all my dealings. Amen!
Leave a Reply