Jesus said, "Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy." (56 Thomas)

Most scholars do not accept this as an authentic saying of Jesus. There are no canonical parallels. The dismissive stance regarding the created world is inconsistent with core teachings of Jesus. Still there are spiritual possibilities.

The man of worldly knowledge is as a butcher who knows how to kill and cut up the calf to sell its meat for money. He knows how to kill. He knows how to take apart. He knows how to sell. This is the way of the world.

If the man knows how to deal with dead things, "of that person the world is not worthy." This is a double paradox. Our first (purposeful?) impression may be that this person is not worthy of the world. But the opposite is said.

Knowing about the carcass of worldy things is cause for praise: The world is not worthy of that person. That person is worth more than the world. If the skilled butcher recognizes the greater value of creating, of bringing together, and of giving away - if the butcher fully understands the difference between death and life - then that person knows something very close to God's truth.

I wonder if this knowledge is related to being as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove?

Above is a Jan Luiken illustration from the Martyrs Mirror of the Apostle Thomas about to be burnt alive.