Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves: Jesus’ Relational Wisdom | Ep 124

What does it mean to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves?In Episode 124, Brian continues Season 6, The Object of Our Formation, by exploring the relational shrewdness of Jesus. Jesus did not relate to everyone the same way. Sometimes He was cryptic. Sometimes He was candid. Sometimes He withdrew. Sometimes He confronted. But He always saw beneath the surface.This episode explores Jesus’ remarkable ability to discern the heart of a person and respond with wisdom, nuance, courage, and love. If discipleship means becoming more like Jesus, then we should expect to grow not only in innocence, but also in perception. We are invited to become people who listen deeply, discern wisely, and respond uniquely to the person in front of us.Brian revisits the Soil & Roots practice of Heart Listening: attuning to the deeper signals beneath words, emotions, behaviors, tone, and body language. Drawing from Sherlock Holmes, the Eight Indicators, the Hebrew midwives, the parable of the shrewd manager, and Jesus’ instruction to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves,” this episode asks what holy shrewdness might look like in the life of a deep disciple.Shrewdness can be used for manipulation or self-protection, but in Jesus it becomes relational wisdom. It is sharp perception submitted to love. It is discernment used for the goodness of another. It is the ability to see what is really happening and respond in a way that serves the Kingdom.Each person is wonderfully unique and deserves a wonderfully unique response.Join us online! Web: ⁠⁠http://soilandroots.org⁠⁠ Substack: ⁠ https://soilandroots.substack.com/