| 9m11s
Jesus is cunning—not in the deceitful way we often associate with the word, but in the holy, artful, surprising way that only divine love can be. In this revealing session of Beautiful Outlaw, John Eldredge shows how Jesus uses brilliance and wit to reach guarded hearts, expose spiritual arrogance, and outmaneuver those trying to trap him. His playfully strategic conversation with the woman at the well in John 4 is a masterpiece of grace and precision.
Jesus doesn’t just deliver truth bluntly; he draws people out. He flips the script on the religious elite and tenderly disarms the self-protective. His way is relational, wise, and fiercely intentional—often cloaked in humor, parables, or surprising questions. If your image of Jesus doesn’t include cleverness, bold engagement, or subversive kindness, you may have missed something essential to who he is.
To explore more of Jesus’ disruptive goodness, read the book Beautiful Outlaw or use the Beautiful Outlaw Video Study for small group discussion. You can also download the Participant’s Guide, browse daily readings like “A Cunning Jesus”, or learn more about John Eldredge. For more stories of Jesus’ unexpected movement in the hearts of men, visit Wild At Heart: The Series.