Pearls to Pigs

 

[Jesus said] “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment, you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matthew 7:1-6 ESV).

 

To understand this additional admonition from Jesus we need to look into the Wisdom of Solomon, and that which Peter cites in his letters. He wrote, “The proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” (2 Peter 2:22) The dogs and swine here are representative of those who ridicule, reject and blaspheme the gospel once it has been given to them. Therefore, we should understand that the Gospel is not received well to those whose purpose is to trample it and return to their own evil ways. The Apostle Paul wrote, “… the person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

 

This does not mean we stop sharing the gospel. Jesus Himself ate with and taught sinners and tax collectors (cf. Matthew 9:10). The same instruction Jesus is giving in our reading (v. 6), Jesus gave to His apostles when He said, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town” (Matthew 10:14). Balancing judgment with discernment is the wisdom that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We’ll look further at that tomorrow.

 

Today I would encourage you to be clearly more “dove-like” than not. Since we never know when the Holy Spirit will quicken another’s heart and make them receptive to the Gospel, always show grace and kindness.