Having grown up in a city, Jesus’ instruction to “be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves” only made partial sense to me. I get the idea of shrewdness in order to watch your back or anyone else’s who is part of your flock. But the "simple as doves" has always seemed to be a contradiction to the vigilance part of the instruction.
The Contradiction Explained
Jesus wants us to be prepared for those who would want to harm us, but He also wants us to trust in Him and those who follow Him. He brings this message along with the teaching that salvation doesn’t come from enjoying worldly success but to the person who perseveres in trusting Jesus in the hard times. He makes this point when He says, “Whoever endures to the end will be saved.” That word “endured” signals perseverance through trials. Jesus knows that we can overcomplicate things, and so He reminds us to be simple in our faith in Him…to trust in Him no matter what happens.
Perseverance Through Trials
And, though we may experience trials for many reasons, Jesus is speaking specifically about the trouble caused by our resisting Jesus’ life and teaching and from others, making life hard for us when we try to follow Jesus. In the United States and worldwide, people face opposition to living the Gospel message of Jesus. Everything from being ostracized from society and estrangement from family to losing business, to threats, and even physical violence leading to death. So, there’s a cost.
When Jesus calls us to love both our neighbors and our enemies, He is acknowledging that some will grow closer to us because of our faith, and others will hate us for it.
The question is, how do we handle the hard part? And handle it without becoming jaded and harsh to everyone, including our families?
A Role Model
Today’s saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, is a great role model. She suffered immense challenges at a young age. At the age of four, she lost her entire family to smallpox. And, as a result of her illness, she had impaired eyesight, and her face was disfigured.
But inspired by missionaries, she learned about Jesus and the Catholic faith. She was baptized and would come to have a strong devotion to the Eucharist and care for others. Her local community did not approve, and so she needed to flee.
St. Kateri, despite the loss of family, health, and local community, did not grow bitter or despondent. Instead, through her accepting Jesus as her Savior and joining the Catholic church, she found the means to live a fulfilling life, one that put God at the center and led her to seek to care for others in need.
As we ponder what it means to "be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves" in our lives, let us remember why we are doing it, and Jesus promise that being faithful to the end leads to our families and our salvation and ultimately Heaven.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha; pray for us!
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