From John Eldredge in Beautiful Outlaw:

"Oh how hard it is to rescue the human heart, to dislodge it from it's chosen means of survival without toppling it into resignation, despair or defensiveness. Jesus won't take the shortcut of a power play. He doesn't force anyone to follow Him."

The chapter called Cunning is a powerful depiction of the shrewd Messiah we typically gloss over. The thing is, He wants us to be like Him in this as well.

"Be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10.16)