Matthew 7:6
“Do not give dogs
what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them
underfoot and turn to attack you.”
Jesus
is talking about not judging and out of what seems like no where comes Matthew
7:6. Could it be that we might find some
clarity from Jesus’ exchange with the Canaanite woman from the district of Tyre
and Sidon? Do you remember her, she came
to Jesus and was crying out “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is
severely oppressed by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) Now Jesus did not give her the time of day,
and yet she kept following and crying out to Him, and the disciples ask Him to
send her away. His reply is found in verse
24, He answers, “I was
only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” I have such great admiration for this lady,
for though the odds were against Jesus doing anything for her daughter, she was
persistent. This was her next move to
win the favor of Jesus, “But she came and knelt before him saying, “Lord, help
me.” And he answered, “Is it not right to
take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said,
“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O women, great is
your faith! Be it done for you as you
desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” (Matthew
15:25-28)
It
is very clear in Scripture that Jesus came to His own and that was the Jewish
people and they were His focus and it is also clear the Jewish culture looked
at all non-Jews as dogs. As we examine
Matthew 7:6, would we be correct to say it was not because the Canaanite women
was of the Jewish faith, but this Gentile woman had great faith in a big God. Proverbs 23:9 may give us clarity, “Do not speak in
the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.” It is very important to understand
whom Jesus calls a fool, and is it not the one who says in his heart there is
no God?
It
would also be helpful to examine Proverbs 9:7-8, we have the example of the
scoffer, he also looks like a person who we would be throwing our pearls before
swine. “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself
abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate
you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.”
So as followers of Christ, it is important to understand and
be able to recognize a scoffer; a scoffer is defined as a person who will mock, deride, ridicule, sneer at, jeer at, jibe at, taunt, make fun of,
poke fun at, laugh at, scorn, laugh to scorn, dismiss, make light of, and belittle. Such a person is not teachable, and we have
this example of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch at the synagogue on the Sabbath,
teaching about Jesus being raised from the dead, and that by faith in Him they
could have freedom from the control of sin.
Then they give them this warning: “ Beware,
therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:“‘Look, you
scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will
not believe, even if one tells it to you.’” (Acts 13:40-41)
From
the Back Porch,
Bob
Rice
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