Sharp-witted, prudent, practically wise in the navigation of complex situations. Christ commends shrewdness in the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-9): And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely [shrewdly]: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. The praise is for the steward's practical cleverness in securing his future, not for his dishonesty. Christ's point: His followers should apply equal practical intelligence to eternal-stakes situations. Matthew 10:16 issues the parallel command: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. The Christian is to combine the serpent's shrewd assessment of a hostile environment with the dove's harmless purity of intent. Christ's own dealings with religious leaders show this combination — He answers their trap-questions with questions that expose their own positions, He uses parables that conceal and reveal simultaneously, He times His public movements with prudent awareness of when the hour has come. Shrewdness without dove-purity becomes cunning; dove-purity without shrewdness becomes naive. Christ commands both.