Peter Roselle: Of Pigs & Pearls – Offer A Ray of Hope in Darkness (Matthew 7:6) This teaching focuses on Matthew 7:1-12, with emphasis on verse 6, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” Huh? Doesn’t it seem odd that Jesus would call someone a “swine”? Since we know that Jesus doesn't want even one person to perish (2 Peter 3:9), we delve deeper to seek the real meaning. Try this: Let’s say you’re a Christian working in a secular environment. At times you’re uncomfortable with the conversations swirling around you. But you see yourself as a missionary in the marketplace so you are also aware of many opportunities to offer a ray of hope in the surrounding darkness. “Casting your pearls” may have a much deeper meaning than you realize.
We pray this video will help you take a fresh look Matthew 7:6. More insight on this topic and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount can be found in the award-winning book, “The Divine Conspiracy,” by Dallas Willard, which we HIGHLY recommend!
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Matthew 7
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
Pigs and Pearls
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
Golden Rule
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you,
do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Quotes: “Here's Christian Pete working at his Wall Street
desk with his big black King James Bible.
Sitting next to him is a young recruit who comes in
wanting to conquer the world, buy a Ferrari and live the “good life.”
This guy is sleeping with his girlfriend, staying
up late and doing drugs.
Christian Pete comes over and says,
“Brother are you in a big mess!
You're a fornicator.
Not only are you a fornicator, you're
going to get that girl pregnant.
Then you're going to have an abortion which
means you will be a murderer.
You need to be more like me!”
The recruit is thinking, “What planet did you land from?”
Christians are often perceived by unbelievers as judgmental.
Remember what Jesus said, “Why are you judging the specks in this guy’s eyes?
Don't you realize you've got a telephone pole in your own eye?”
In that scenario, I'm not looking at the recruit with compassion.
I'm not seeing him as a “sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
I'm coming down from up on the holy mountain saying,
“You’re living in sin and you're going to burn in hell.”
No wonder they think we’re judgmental.
We then compound the problem when we say,
“I'm not going to cast my pearl (of the word of God) before this swine.”
It’s hard to believe Jesus would call and unbeliever a swine, right?
What if Jesus meant something different?
Maybe Jesus is telling us, “This guy is hurting, build a relationship with him
before starting to lecture him with your “pearls of wisdom.”
Your prayer might then be,
“God, you know everything about this young man.
You do not want him to perish.
I understand the temptations he is facing.
He is playing the game by the rules he’s been taught his whole life.
He's a good-looking guy, smart, charismatic, making money, and surrounded by sin.
He's not going to understand if I tell him he shouldn't be sleeping
with his girlfriend unless we have a relationship first.
Lord, I'm asking and I'm seeking and I'm knocking on the door of
heaven to get a strategy that will help me speak to this guy.”
If I cast “a pearl” before him – which, in this version
the pearl would be my lectures about everything he's doing wrong,
my pearls of wisdom - he's not going to understand.
In that sense, “the pearl” is not edible for “a pig.”
A pearl cannot be digested – but guess what – he can turn
and tear YOU to pieces.
He might say, “Wait a minute.
You're going to tell me how to live?
I heard you on the phone last week talking to your wife… it wasn’t pretty.”
We won't go there in this class tonight, OK?
What kind of example are you setting?
Maybe a better approach is to take him out to lunch and get to know him.
Let him pick your brain for advice about how to succeed in the career.
Treat him the way you would want to be treated – if you were him.
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