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Tag: Matthew 7:6

Do not give dogs what is sacred

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Matthew, What’s new?.

Why are we instructed, “Do not give dogs what is sacred” in Matthew 7:6?

Millions of people worldwide have pet dogs that they care for and love. Yet, in the ancient world, people didn’t have the same fondness for man’s best friend. As the Bible illustrates, people thought dogs were disgusting (Luke 16:21), dumb (Proverbs 26:11), and worthy of disdain (1 Samuel 17:43).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus drew upon the poor reputation of dogs to illustrate an important point to His disciples about preaching the gospel. He said, “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 7:6, ESV).

To start with, we notice that Jesus forbids two foolish acts, which both symbolize the same thing. First, He warns against giving dogs what is holy, as they do not revere sacred items. Second, He cautions against offering pigs what is valuable, because they do not esteem such prized possessions. Neither dogs nor pigs hold such things in high regard; the special quality of valuable items is lost on such animals. In these descriptions, what is holy and valuable represents the proclamation of the gospel, and the animals represent those who have heard the good news and have rejected it.

The disciples shouldn’t offer what is holy (the message of the gospel) to dogs (those who have shown that they consider it worthless). Jesus reiterated this principle in a more straightforward way later in His ministry, saying, “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town” (Matthew 10:14; cf. Proverbs 9:8).

The context of Matthew 7:6 provides more insight for how Christians can apply the principle today. In the passage, Jesus is teaching about making correct judgments (Matthew 7:1–6). First, He warns His followers not to make hypocritical judgments, instructing them to first take the log out of their own eye before they attempt to help someone else (Matthew 7:3–5). Then, He encourages them to practice discernment, which is a type of judgment. They should not give dogs what is holy (Matthew 7:6). A person guilty of making hypocritical judgments lacks self-awareness and fails to judge correctly. A person guilty of making uncritical judgments lacks discernment and fails to judge at all.

Christians may struggle to determine the right time to persevere in sharing the gospel and the right time to stop. So, how can they know for sure? First, fervent prayer is of great importance and must saturate the process of evangelism from beginning to end. Next, knowing when to stop preaching the gospel to a certain person or group requires wisdom and an understanding of how the hearers are responding to the message.

In the last part of Matthew 7:6, Jesus emphasized that persecution is a key factor in making the decision: “They may . . . turn and tear you to pieces.” When there is a hostile reaction to the gospel message, the hearers have shown their nature. In seeking to harm the messenger, the hardened sinner becomes dog-like in his viciousness. So, it is important to discern when to “shake the dust off” and take the message elsewhere.

Paul made this difficult decision once when persecution arose in response to his proclamation of the gospel in Corinth: “And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles’” (Acts 18:6). Then he left the synagogue and began preaching next door (verse 7). If Paul had continued to preach the gospel of Christ in the Corinthian synagogue, he would have been guilty of giving dogs what is holy.

Pearls before swine

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Matthew, What’s new?.

What did Jesus mean when He said to not cast your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)?

“Do not cast your pearls before swine” is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, and, to understand its meaning, we have to understand its context and placement within the sermon. Christ had just finished instructing the crowd on judgment and reproof: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1–2), and “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). Then in verse 6, Christ tempers these admonitions and shows us the difference between “judgment” and “discernment.” We are not to be hypocritical judges, yet we must be able to discern the swine, lest we cast our pearls before them.

Before Jesus says, “Do not cast your pearls before swine,” He says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred.” An analogy mentioning dogs is also used in Proverbs: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). A dual reference to swine and dogs is also found in 2 Peter 2:22, “Of [false teachers] the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’” In His sermon, Jesus uses dogs and pigs as representative of those who would ridicule, reject, and blaspheme the gospel once it is presented to them. We are not to expose the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have no other purpose than to trample it and return to their own evil ways. Repeatedly sharing the gospel with someone who continually scoffs and ridicules Christ is like casting pearls before swine. We can identify such people through discernment, which is given in some measure to all Christians (1 Corinthians 2:15–16).

The command not to cast your pearls before swine does not mean we refrain from preaching the gospel. Jesus Himself ate with and taught sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10). In essence, the instruction in Matthew 7:6 is the same that 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). We are to share the gospel, but, when it becomes apparent that the gospel is not welcome, we are to move on. We are responsible to share the good news; we are not responsible for people’s response to the good news. Pigs don’t appreciate pearls, and some people don’t appreciate what Christ has done for them. Our job is not to force conversions or cram the gospel down people’s throats; there’s no sense in preaching the value of pearls to swine. Jesus’ instruction to His apostles on how to handle rejection was to simply go elsewhere. There are other people who need to hear the gospel, and they are ready to hear it.