2006-03-05 Communion Dedication – Baldwin Christian Church

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

It seems safe to say that Jesus is using figures of speech here.  I believe He is comparing pearls to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and swine to those who have a reprobate mind.  Swine are critters whose lives revolve around their next meal.  They might sniff at your pearls, but when they realize you haven’t given them something they want to eat, something that will feed their flesh, at that point, they no longer have any use for your pearls, or you for that matter.

In Matthew chapter 10, as Jesus sent out His apostles to preach to the lost sheep of Israel, He instructed them, “And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire (try to find) who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.  And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:11-14).

Keep in mind, the people that Jesus labels “unworthy” here are those who will not receive sound doctrine because they have it all figured out already.  He speaks of folks whose minds are closed to the things of God, so they have no use for you or your words, unless you want to argue.  Jesus instructs you to move on, to take your peace with you, and don’t leave as much as a blessing with them.  This is a difficult thing to do when you have love in your heart, but even as much as you might want to, you just can’t keep hitting folks over the head with a 2x4 and saying, “Can you see Jesus now?”  The Bible tells us, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:8), so our hearts should be yearning for and reaching out to the lost and hurting.  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20).

If we love Jesus, we have to rely on His Word to let us know when its time to shake off the dust and move on, the point where we’re crossing the line from reasoning into pointless arguing.  If we have love for Jesus, we do have love for each other, and maybe that’s why its so hard for us to understand the existence of people who hate God, but the Scriptures tell us, “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4).

There is evil in the world, but there are also pearls.  Pearls are beautiful, precious, delicate little things, and we know this is true, especially when hear the pronunciation of the Greek word translated here as “pearl” (“margarites”, or “Margaret”).

As it says in Proverbs chapter one, Wisdom tries and tries to get people to listen, but they simply will not receive her advice, they despise all her correction, and therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own worldly wisdom (Proverbs 1:30-31).

Matthew chapter 7, verse 6 is a proverb that instructs us about discernment.  Jesus inserted it right after He explained how to tell if we’re being hypocrites, and right before He explains that we will receive of the Lord if we keep asking and seeking.  We should be always discerning the Lord’s body, examining ourselves, and asking for His wisdom.  As God’s servants, we should be fountains of holiness, able to cast pearls of Godly wisdom, but we can’t be effective, and we may even do more harm than good, if we’re doing these things in a hypocritical way, or if we’re wasting these precious things on people who will not receive them.  I believe Jesus inserted this proverb here because He expects us to be spreading the Good News about Him in the most effective way.  Discernment is a gift of the Spirit, knowing when to shake the dust off your feet, knowing when the house is worthy, or when you’re casting pearls before swine.  At the end of Hebrews chapter five, we’re admonished that we should have this discernment.

Hebrews 5:12-14  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Learning how to balance yourself on a skateboard takes practice, and it takes practice to learn how to balance between love and discernment.  Your job (every one of you) is to let people know about the love of Jesus.  It can get very discouraging if you go about it willy-nilly.  Be a worker in the Word of God, learn to sense the hearts that are prepared to receive it, and be prepared to share.  Learn to sense when someone’s heart is hostile toward Jesus, and don’t be discouraged by it.  Give it over to God, move on to wherever He leads you, and who knows, maybe someday that hostile heart will be ready to receive your pearls.

Additional Studies:

Dogs and pigs are considered “unclean” by the food laws.

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

2 Peter 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Exodus 22:31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

Deuteronomy 23:18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Matthew 7:6 …turn again and rend you.

Proverbs 9:7-8 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.  Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

Revelation 22:10-15 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Matthew 15:21-28

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.