By Gustav Krös
07/03/2025
Recently, one of my mentors encouraged me to study Matthew 10 – the chapter in which Jesus sends out the twelve disciples – and to pay special attention to verse 16, which states: “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (NIV).
After reading verse 16 and reflecting on the characteristics of a snake – namely cunning, swift and alert – I then proceeded to read the entire chapter, processing it with these characteristics in mind.
The first verses that I viewed in a different light, with these thoughts in mind, were verses 9 and 10, which state: “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey, or extra shirt, or sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.”
As I read these instructions, I realised that Jesus had stripped the disciples of every physical provision on which they might rely, thereby compelling them to depend only on God. Now, if you are going to be completely dependent on God, you would want your spiritual senses to be as sharp as a snake’s natural ones. You would want to be spiritually alert, swift and sharp, so as not to miss any people or opportunities that God places in your path as a means through which He provides for you.
While I was contemplating this thought, I was reminded of a story I read roughly 20 years ago about a specific game ranger who worked in the Kruger National Park. For those who may not know, the park is home to many dangerous animals, such as lions, elephants, rhinos, and leopards. Consequently, it is standard protocol for game rangers working in the park to carry a rifle for self-protection whenever they are in the park.
This specific game ranger, however, never carried a rifle. His theory was that the rifle would subconsciously dull his senses and also influence his decision-making. For instance, if he needed to decide whether to take a shortcut through a thicket where a dangerous animal might be sleeping or to go around it, the rifle would give him the option of taking the shortcut, as he would be able to defend himself if he encountered a dangerous animal. But without a rifle, he would choose the safer option, knowing his life could depend on it.
In this way, the game ranger believed that he was actually keeping himself safer than what he would have been if he had carried a rifle, for he understood that his senses needed to be as sharp as possible, and that he always had to make the safest possible decision.
This very much illustrated to me the position that Jesus had put the disciples in by telling them not to take any gold, silver, or copper with them to rely on. By not having these resources with them, they knew they were completely reliant on God for everything they needed, and He would provide for them through other people, as verse 11 states: “Search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.”
In the same way the rifle subconsciously dulls the senses of the game ranger, money would have dulled the senses of the disciples. But, by removing the money from the equation, the disciples had to be as spiritually sharp as a serpent, while they went about searching for a worthy person through whom God would provide for them. At the same time, this worthy person would receive from the disciples the blessing of hearing them speak about the Kingdom of God. It is therefore not a one-way blessing, but a relationship of mutual blessing. Yet, no-one would receive the intended blessing if the disciples had money with them and instead chose to stay at an inn.
The illustration of snakes, however, is specifically used by Jesus from the perspective of self-preservation, as He tells His disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Thus, we see that within the context of the spiritual battle, we should not allow ourselves to be as vulnerable as sheep among wolves; instead, we should be as spiritually astute as snakes while maintaining our innocence as doves.
This challenges me in my own day-to-day journey with the Lord. Am I as spiritually shrewd as a serpent in my day-to-day walk with the Lord, or do I allow the resources at my disposal to dull my spiritual senses? Do I allow my circumstances, money, and capabilities to govern my decisions, and in the process miss opportunities for spreading the Gospel or leave myself vulnerable to attack from the evil one? Or am I always listening to the Holy Spirit and allowing God to govern every decision?
I may never know how many opportunities I have missed in the past because my spiritual senses were dull, but I am motivated to live every moment of every day as shrewd as a snake and with the same spiritual sensitivity as a game ranger without a rifle.
