Dogs and Pigs
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
Matthew 7:6
At first, this brief passage appears to be out of place in the Sermon on the Mount, especially when it is compared to verses that urge us to be humble and peace-loving. Jesus tells us that there are times when it is necessary for us to avoid certain people, because their contempt for the Gospel is so great that, by association, they could bring it into disrepute. In fact, Jesus’ words are a necessary corrective. We are not to set ourselves up as judges, but at the same time we are not to be so undiscriminating that we allow the Lord’s name to be trampled in the mud.
“Dogs” and “pigs” are terms used to refer to those who have had plenty of opportunities to respond to the Gospel, but who have chosen to remain obdurate and opposed to the truth. Eventually, instead of spending our precious time befriending or seeking to convince those who have absolutely no intention of listening, we should shake the dust from our feet and move on.[1]This is a very hard teaching, because we would like to think that there is no heart that cannot be melted. Unfortunately, experience suggests that this is not the case, or at least that a response will come in God’s time, not ours. There are some people who are simply so opposed to the claims of Christ that they stop up their ears and refuse to listen. Often, these same people can be crudely offensive in their denunciation of the Christian church, even of Christ Himself. There are, therefore, times when the best thing to do is to walk away. It will be a last resort, but it may need to be done. God may send someone else into their life. He may be sending you to someone else, too.
What is the pearl? Some commentators have identified the pearl as the presence of Christ, by His Spirit, in Holy Communion. They usually go on to use this text as a reason to exclude certain people from receiving the bread and wine. A more likely explanation is that the pearl represents the Kingdom of God,[2] the community of the redeemed. We should not be so inclusive as to extend the blessings and benefits of God’s Kingdom to those who would prefer to trample it underfoot. Though our hearts should always be as welcoming as Jesus’, we should still be able to recognize those who would be only too willing to crucify Him again.
Lord God,
Make me as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove.
Make me always willing to believe the best of people,
yet discerning enough to recognize their worst.
But, before I jump to conclusions,
remind me of how I was, once, blind to Your truth – but now I see.
Amen.
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