Jesus' Lesson on Not Throwing Pearls Before Swine

Jesus / Yahshua taught us:

"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." (Matt 7:6 NIV.)

Pearls are symbolic of something sacred. We learn this from Jesus' parallel that you should not give to dogs "what is sacred." Swine were unclean animals to eat. Dogs were generally regarded as unclean by the people. In the Bible, they are mentioned as used for hunting. Isaiah 56:11; Job 30:1. Jesus is alluding to the common view of the people that dogs were unclean to touch. Obviously, the people learned they carry diseases, etc. Dogs also had the capacity to become ravenous, i.e., have distemper and tear a human to pieces. There were no distemper shots in Jesus' day.

Hence, Jesus is warning us not to give sacred holy-type things / pearls to the dogs and pigs, meaning to wicked persons of perverse minds who will not only destroy your holy-type things and pearls, but also actually turn upon you and attack you personally, "tearing you in pieces" -- destroying you. 

What are the holy-type things and pearls? God's message.

So there are times that giving God's message to someone is counter-manded by Christ's command.

For example, Jesus said if someone calls another Raca - Empty head -- a term intended to antagonize, that person is in danger of "hell fire." (Matt 5:22.)

Now let's say you give someone God's message, and they won't listen, and begin to insult you as a "dumb-a.." or other inflammatory words intended to signify you are stupid.

What did Jesus say elsewhere about such a person -- referring to a brother whose home you stayed in when you entered the town and initially found someone "worthy" to stay with -- but who won't listen to you?

"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet." (Matt 10:14.)

This statement by Jesus parallels "do not cast your pearls before swine...." You move on. Don't waste any more words or time on them. They physically heard the message, but refused to engage reasonably and fairly on the message. They closed their minds. If you persist in trying to "reach them," Jesus says you err. If you do, they will try to destroy God's message as well as turn and "tear you to pieces."

What does destroying you mean?

Well, it can indeed mean killing you. But it more likely means that they will lead you into dangerous sin such as hatred of a brother or sister in Christ. As Proverbs 26:4 says, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also become like him."

How would you become like him and fall into sin? Well, if the foolish arguer antagonizes you enough calling you "empty-head," stupid, etc., it will predictably lead to anger and hatred. What did Jesus say about hatred? Can that hatred destroy you / tear you in pieces, dangerously leading you toward damnation?

Jesus said in Matthew 5:22:

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Apostle John likewise said: "Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him." (1 John 3:15.)

So if you get into a discussion with a fellow follower of Jesus, and the brother or sister starts talking abusively or with innuendo, snide insults, etc., showing his or her questions are not honestly seeking an answer, exit the conversation. Your brother or sister knows better not to say "Raca." But if you further cast the food before a dog or your pearls before a swine -- which now your brother or sister in Christ has become, he or she has become like the wicked servant in Jesus' parable in Luke 12.

There his master will come at a day and time he does not expect, and will cut that wicked servant in pieces, and assign him to the same fate as the APISTOS -- Greek meaning those who have no faith -- because the servant was "abusing" fellow Christians. This is not a servant who never believed. Jesus said he will take this wicked "servant" of the Lord and cast him into the same fate as ones who had NO FAITH, implying this "servant of the Lord" was indeed a believer. Yikes. His fate will be like those who never believed. (Luke 12:42-46.) Hence, pray for your professed brother or sister but do not waste any more time talking to them unless they later show a willingness to at least hear what you are saying -- to follow Christ alone.

NOTES:

Here is how I recently applied the above lesson in emails which I sent to a brother opponent whose words showed strong antagonism -- using many inflammatory statements:

Hi R,

I love you, dear  brother in Christ. I must be concerned for a brother when he begins using the word RACA (empty head) or synonymns because my Lord tells me he is in danger of judgment. So when someone writes me that I am incorrect and got something backwards, but adds “ass” such as “ass backwards,” then I must conclude my brother is in danger of the judgment. Or instead of saying I supposedly “misunderstood” something instead he says I supposedly “completely misunderstood” something. There are many ways to say RACA, as you know.

This topic matter then is not spiritually productive for my brother. My brother may have truly beneficial truths to share, but he is filled with hatred and antagonism, and I am somehow feeding it. I must follow Yahusha / Yahshua’s command with even a brother who began “worthy” to “shake the dust off” my feet, and move on.

I have had many opponents write, and I learn a lot from many. See how carefully I studied your points on the name of Jesus. I seek to grow. But a handful, use words that are needlessly antagonistic.   

Once they begin changing their tune, I always exit the dialogue. This becomes dangerous to me spiritually to continue, as Jesus also says if you hate a brother or sister, then you are at risk of hell fire. Hence, for both our good, I think we have shared enough, and we spiritually are commanded to move on.

I pray Yahweh richly bless you.

Be well,

Doug

R then responded that I was exiting because R was allegedly scoring good points and I supposedly did not want to hear them. So I responded:

Hi R

I am glad you don’t think you have called me RACA or used synonyms. However, I am concerned for your spirit that you do not sin. But if we continue, I feel you may not sense what I sense – a strong antagonism is building in you and may lead you to sin which in turn can lead me to sin in response. Better to cut it off before it leads to a serious sin by either one of us. When civility is lost in dialogue, Yahshua warns there is a “danger” of judgment, and thus we need to flee from such relationships that cause it. 

Also, I feel you are not writing to listen to anything I have to say. You never take it at all seriously. You wish me to only listen to you. I have shown you respect, and studied your emails, and responded carefully. But the responses I get from you are not what I can respect. Sorry. So Yahshua gives me a stern command, to shake the dust off my feet and move on – and that command  involved a person  who initially appeared “worthy.”

So I wish you well, and I am glad we cut this off before you went too far, and I became angry in return with you.

Blessings of Yahweh,

Doug

Then R's last email was a ranting email, yet claiming he had no animosity, etc. Here is what I wrote in reply:

Hi R 

Do you really read what you are saying:

You wrote: “I had to see what in the world you are saying to affect these people.” –

Brother R..., Is that a sober mind?

You wrote: “From what I can see the biggest "fishbone" stuck in your throat” –

Brother R, is that how you talk to a person you love?

You wrote: “STOP right here and THINK.” –

Brother R, capitals are used here like yelling. Do you need to do that?

The best example is you wrote: “because your ego is too big to admit you are in error regarding Paul.”

So you don’t reason with me, but attack my character. Even when I told you what I was concerned about was inflammatory words, there it is. I supposedly don’t have common sense to hear you because I allegedly have a big ego.

If this last letter you sent me does not prove what I said, I don’t know what to tell you.

To have a dialogue requires civility, respect, and loving concern. My perception whether right or wrong is you evince venom, hatred, and hostility.

Thus, your words are there for you to examine your own heart. I cannot see what is in there.

Yahshua does not tell me I have to know what is in your heart. He says I am obeying him by shaking the dust off my feet of a relationship with someone whom I at first respected as worthy but who later demonstrates that he “will not listen.” In obedience to Messiah, I must move on.

I again wish you all the best.

Blessings of Yahweh,

Doug

Finally, Mr. R crossed all lines and rejected trying to be polite, and then blatantly insults me. So I responded:

Hi R

I have no choice but to officially block you now. I do pray for my brother… RACA has many forms. You even admit not wishing to be polite. You write:

“You almost sound like a temperamental 'girl' instead of a litigation lawyer.”

I am praying for you.

Blessings of Yah, and this is my final email,

Doug

MY FINAL COMMENT TO WEBSITE READERS.

When you have confrontations like this, you are to act civil and polite to one another. This is true even in Court. Also, we are not Jesus where we can exercise powers of condemnation and judgment. In the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus says to leave that judgment to the angels.  Exit the conversation before you become hostile and condemnatory.