"Do not give what is holy to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." (Matthew 7:6)
The rather obvious meaning of the verses just before this, about the speck or beam in the eye, sets the stage. Our own modern day proverb for that one is, "Clean up your own backyard first..." The idea is not we cannot judge sin in others, but we should only preach about the things we've conquered (or are conquering) in our own lives. To be sure His listeners understood this was not a blanket condemnation on condemning. Jesus next told them something that literally required them to judge.
Most of us have a tough time accepting, much less understanding, the Jewish cultural distaste for dogs. We tend to think anyone who doesn't like dogs is barbaric. Without tracing down the lineage of why dogs were hated, let's simply say this: for as long as anyone could remember in that part of the world, dogs were a serious threat to life and limb. They were wild, and would kill just for the thrill of it. They carried diseases which made them all the more repugnant. Further, the only cultures in that area valuing dogs did so as symbols of some pagan god. They served no useful purpose in Jewish society.
So when Jesus advised His listeners not to throw anything holy to dogs, it seemed on the surface He was "preaching to the choir" -- to suggest that they would do so was almost insulting. No one would knowingly feed anything at all to dogs, much less food which had been part of a sacred meal. What most likely came to mind when Jesus said this was the Passover Lamb. According to the Law of Moses, the host was required to throw leftover lamb in the fire before morning. Tossing it to dogs was unthinkable, an abomination.
While most of us Gentiles love ham and bacon, we aren't likely to be fond of live pigs in their natural state. They wallow in any damp spot during warm weather, and will consume anything that even vaguely resembled food at one time. If it smells rotten, they are all the more excited by it. In ancient times they carried a host of diseases and parasites that could infect humans. No surprise then God made it forbidden for His People to eat them. In fact, Jews would never willingly get within stone-throwing distance of pigs.
Pearls were one of the most valued jewelry items in Jesus' time. Few people had even seen pearls up close. About the only place the translucent cream-colored beads could be seen was decorating the extremely wealthy and powerful. The idea of offering them to pigs was, again, completely beyond their imagination.
Of course, this was a parable, not to be taken for its literal meaning. It represents a higher principle. The teaching of Jesus was the Word of God. It was holy, valuable beyond measure. It could not be priced in worldly terms. It was precious, and living its principles made one precious to God. It was to be shared with others, spread abroad to all the world. It was God's precious gift to all humanity.
This Truth of God was all encompassing; it applied to, and affected, every detail of life. Indeed, it defined life, was life. It was the substance behind all Creation, the Divine Principle of existence itself. Anyone who, having once heard this Truth, was not careful with it, was no better than one who fed Passover Lamb to dogs. They were so mindless, they were the kind who would offer pearls to swine.
In our daily walk with the Savior, there are people crossing our paths who will simply never grasp the testimony of His power in us. Sometimes we can tell immediately; sometimes we have to work with them a bit. Either way, we can sense in our spirits when they are spiritually dead. Nor are they for us even a possible audience for Truth. To press ahead is pointless, a waste of God's resources. It's not a matter of their having a sin problem we can help with, even if we have already conquered that sin thoroughly.
Instead, we run the risk of being needlessly hurt, and bringing discredit to the Gospel. It requires we be sensitive in the Spirit, that we possess a sense of proportion. In other words, we have to judge both the situation and the person. If they are spiritual swine, if they have chosen their final destiny, then let them go into Satan's bacon pan. We do not choose who will be saved, and who will not. We do not even choose to whom we present the Gospel. The Father decides, and sets the divine appointments for those of us who serve Him. He decides what it will mean in each situation to share His Truth.
It tires me to hear the teaching of evangelism presented with such an urgency that everyone listening receives a spirit of guilt and condemnation. I am angry at all those who chopped the Gospel message up into neat little packages to be memorized as canned presentations. Their reasoning was that it would save time if everyone could learn "this proven technique." Yes, people are dying and going to Hell every moment of every day. If it truly depended on us to save them all, then we might as well lie down and die now. We cannot save them. Only Jesus can save them. This sort of frantic spirit of fear that we dare not even sleep lest we miss some opportunity comes not from God. It is from Satan to make fools of us, and to ensure our ineffectiveness.
I've seen over-zealous "soul-winners" literally close the door on someone's heart because they pushed when their target was least receptive. The canned words and cutesy outline failed utterly to make sense. The Gospel is not our message until it is living in us, in our unique situation of life. It takes time with God, His Word, and His people to even begin. If it is our nature to be gregarious and eloquent, we may have a head start. If not, it's best to remember: How we act in general is more important, and must precede any words. This writer can affirm beyond a shadow of any doubt that all the people I know who came to Jesus through my efforts were unanimous in telling me that they were touched by how I acted, and only later by what I said. It has been ever true from the first day I served Him.
It takes good, wise judgment of situations and people. Far more important it is that we make our every waking moment simply in His Spirit, and in His power, whatever it is our bodies and minds find to do. Let us be found faithfully going about the business of life as He gave it to us. Early or late in our walk, this is the one proper way to share the pearls of truth.
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Ed Hurst
30 October 2002
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).