Some "pigs" are perfectly decent human beings.
Jesus’ statement in Matt 7:6 about pearls and swine is well known by most Christians. In fact, it, like so many of Jesus’ statements, has become famous enough to become part of cultural literacy. His actual statement was this, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (NASB).
What was Jesus really saying? I’ve heard discussion about this passage focus on two themes:
- Those who aren’t interested in the gospel are dogs…a bunch of worthless swine.
- Be careful with whom you share the gospel.
I’m not sure either of these options quite captures the essence of what Jesus was trying to get across and how he actually lived his life.
When Jesus Calls Names
Jesus wasn’t above calling someone names. He did it to provoke the Syrophoenician woman. But he wasn’t being a racist; he had another purpose in mind. To read more about this see: Collateral Good and Behind the Portcullis. And, Jesus famously called some of the Pharisees a brood of vipers and whitewashed tombs. But, in general, Jesus was gracious to all but the arrogant, hypocritical religious elite. So I don’t think Jesus is trying to teach us that we are supposed to distain people who aren’t like us, or don’t understand what we are talking about. It doesn’t fit his character.
Jesus Didn’t Preach to Everyone
I think the second option is closer to the truth about what Jesus was teaching; but it is still 20 degrees off center. It is going in the right direction; it just doesn’t quite get us where he was trying to take us. I think is misses the wise spiritual discernment process which helps us determine with whom we share the gospel. Let me explain.
Have you ever notice that Jesus didn’t preach to everyone, every time he got a chance. Sometimes he did, for example the Sermon on the Mount. But other times he could completely ignore the crowds and focus on one person; for example the hemorrhaging woman or Zacchaeus. He also would engage people as long as they moved towards God. The woman at the well in is a good example of this. When they showed they weren’t really interested, he just ended the conversation and moved on. A classic example of this, is the man commonly called the Rich Young Ruler.
Why do we feel we need to preach to everyone and convince them our gospel is right? Are we defending the gospel or our own sense of rightness? When Jesus sent out the 72 he told them not to greet anyone on the road and don’t move around from house to house. I suspect this was part of Jesus showing us how to focus in on the people we should actually be sharing the gospel with. He gives us more specific instructions in Lk. 10: 5-6; telling us to look for the house of peace and the man of peace. You can read about my thoughts about this in Finding the Person of Peace.
Casting Pearls in the Mire
So, what then do I think Jesus was teaching in Matt. 7:6? I think he was saying preach the gospel by looking for ways to make him the topic of conversation. If someone responds, continue to engage them. They are probably the person of peace, or as it says in Matthew 10, a worthy man (v.11). On the other hand, if they are not interested, don’t continue the conversation. And don’t feel guilty about ending the conversation. To continue on would be to force your will on someone else. This potentially makes them angry at you, causing them to disparage the gospel and Jesus even more. In other words, they will trample your beautiful pearls in the mire. They may be perfectly fine human beings, in many ways, but they aren’t ready for the gospel at this time. And, they may never be.
We need to understand that pushing the gospel on people who really aren’t interested ends up causing more harm than good. For a good example of this see A Christian Believer Attempts To Convert A Free-Will Thinker. WARNING: this is not written by a Christian. Quite the contrary, it is written by an angry atheist. If reading such a thing will offend your sensibilities, don’t bother clicking this link. My point is to show what happens when we feel it is our duty to force others to try to see Jesus like we do. I don’t think Jesus told us to do this. And by concentrating our efforts on those who are already moving towards Jesus (the person of peace, the worthy man) we don’t see Jesus and our gospel stomped through the mire. We also save ourselves a lot of grief. And, consequently, we don’t needlessly harm others who really aren’t ready to hear the gospel and may never be. That, in my opinion, isn’t an act of love.
- What do you think our motivation is for trying to force people to listen to the gospel?
- Do you think force is every an appropriate option for sharing Jesus? If so, when and how?
- Can you think of any instance when Jesus used force to preach the gospel against someone’s will?
- If what I’m suggesting is correct, does it make sharing the gospel a little easier?