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 turn and tear you to pieces.
— Matthew 7:6
Following the Call—Chap. 45: Casting Pearls
What have we here? Preaching the gospel. On saying hard things.
To proclaim the word of God in the abstract, to people who are in a situation which prevents them from understanding it, means that we are tempting God. Let us meditate once more on this incisive saying of our Lord.
— Jacques Ellul
What Have We Here?
If there is an enigmatic saying in the Sermon on the Mount it is this. What in the world is Jesus referring to? Who are the dogs and pigs? What is the pearl that is so sacred? Who would be foolish enough to cast pearls to pigs and dogs anyway?
It is commonly understood that Jesus’ reference to the pearl is the gospel, and that the pigs and dogs are the unbelieving who won’t listen or receive it. “Be on your guard, lest the unbelieving turn on you and mock what you’re saying!”
New Testament scholar N. T. Wright believes that Jesus has something even more specific in mind. He is telling his disciples to share the good news of the kingdom but only to Israel, not to the Gentiles. That will come later, only after the resurrection and ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (e.g. Matt. 10:5-6).
Some interpret “pigs” and “dogs” as referring very specifically to the Romans. There are good textual grounds for this view, but I will not elaborate on them here. In this reading, Jesus is saying something like: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s!” (Matt. 22:21).
Others believe that Jesus’ metaphorical use of language invites a looser interpretation. Jesus is calling attention to how judgmental and condemning the religious leaders were. For example, the Pharisees threw the prostitutes in their culture “to the dogs.” Jesus, however, is saying that to do this is like throwing away something holy. In contrast, Jesus teaches us to draw pearls out of the mud, rescuing them from swine, and polishing them back to beauty again.
In this chapter of Following the Call, Dallas Willard and Jacques Ellul shed a different light on this passage. They argue that when we offer our pearl, be it the gospel or some truth, we must do so in a way that the person given the pearl is truly helped and able to receive it. This includes doing the preparatory work needed to help people to be in a situation where they can hear and make a decision. This also includes making sure that we, who are making the offering, are living worthy lives. Otherwise, those who hear and see us will simply turn on us and mock our message.
This understanding of what Jesus is saying naturally follows the previous instruction regarding judging others. In this case, no matter how right we may be, no matter what “good news” we want to share, we should do our best to ensure that others are in a position to receive what it is we have to say. Otherwise, they might just trample or turn on us.
Jesus himself occasionally withheld his teaching from certain people. This doesn’t mean he didn’t engage or reach out to them or that he thought of them as pigs or dogs. Jesus is reminding us of how important it is to discern (i.e. judge) when and how to approach a person who is blinded by some speck in his eye. “Do not speak to a fool for he will scorn the wisdom of your words,” the writer of Proverbs says (Prov. 23:9).
Preaching the Gospel
The following quote, attributed to Martin Luther, is worth pondering: “If you preach the gospel in all aspects with the exception of the issues which deal specifically with your time, you are not preaching the gospel at all.”
Luther’s point dovetails perfectly with what Willard and Ellul write. We can scatter gospel pearls far and wide, but still fail to speak God’s word for today. Spade work is every bit as important as planting seeds. The kind of soil one has to work with also determines which seed should get planted. There are ears that refuse to hear God’s truth, but then there are ears that can’t hear simply because we fail to speak and live in a way that reaches them in their situation.
God took on human flesh so that we might actually be able to grasp the Word of Life (1 John 1:1-4). Jesus healed so that the eyes and ears of those who encountered him could receive the truth he came to bring. He never just threw pearls at people. He made sure they were able to wear them.
On Saying Hard Things
As previously mentioned, this saying is related to the passage about not judging others. It is also related to what Jesus says later in Matthew 18:15-20, where he gives instructions on how to deal with another’s fault. We are to go to them directly. If this doesn’t work, we are to get the help of others. The important thing here is that we concern ourselves with a person’s fault. Jesus is not addressing the issue of what causes us irritation. There is a difference. Irritations are subjective reactions. A fault, however, is something that causes harm, either to others or to oneself. The pearl of love compels us to go to another who may be causing harm because love always seeks the good.
Love also doesn’t jump to conclusions. Brennan Manning tells of an encounter he had with a father and his two young children. Manning was on a subway early in the morning and these two children were making a terrible ruckus. Their father, however, just sat, obliviously staring out the window. Manning found himself getting increasingly irritated, even angry: Why doesn’t the father do something?! Manning finally had enough. He turned to the father and told him straight out to attend to his children. When the man looked up, there were tears in his eyes. The children’s mother had just died that morning in the hospital. They were on their way home.
I can’t count the number of times I have personally misjudged another’s behavior, simply because I assumed the worst of them. Was it wrong for Brennan Manning to speak to the father? No. Was it wrong that Manning spoke to him with such frustration? Yes. The father needed help, indeed, but not a scolding. He needed the mercies of Christ, not just correction. In fact, the mercies of Christ may be the most precious pearl we have to offer anyone.
Your Turn
What do you think Jesus is trying to get at in this particular saying? Just reply to this email to leave a comment.