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.”

After having all of this plane speech, then Jesus says something like this “Don't give to dogs...” Huh? Wait a minute here, I thought we were talking about being judgmental and all that jazz! Why are you starting to talk about dogs and pigs and pearls and all of this? I know that when I ran into this verse it was like I was cruising down the highway, my cruise control was set, and I was enjoying understanding everything. Suddenly I run into the back of a parked semi-trailer! Apparently I wasn't the only one to have problems understanding this verse. I decided to do some research into this and try and find out what the people Jesus was speaking to were hearing, since it was obviously plain speech to them.

Both dogs and pigs are unclean, unrighteous, unholy animals. Dogs were not kept as pets and were not to be touched. Pigs were not to be eaten or touched either. Both dogs and pigs were wild scavengers, eating what they could find. Only the Jews, however, declared that pigs were unclean. The Romans, the Greeks, the Turks, even the Egyptians would maintain herds of domesticated swine, but the Greek here refers not to the pink porkers that we think of, but instead to wild pigs which we would call hogs or boar. While dogs would slink around and eat what they could find or scavenge, these hogs were vicious animals and would attack at the slightest provocation.

We are told in this passage to be discerning. We must be able to distinguish between people who can understand and value spiritual teachings from those who can not or will not. We are not to share that which is holy – the gospel of Jesus and His teachings – with those who had received the gospel before and who's hearts were hard towards it. Remember that the Samaritan woman said that even the dogs get crumbs from the master's table. These are the dogs which scavenge and eat refuse and have heard once the gospel, but have decided that there is sweeter, better trash elsewhere to eat from and they turn their nose up at Christ. It is not our job to teach and preach to them. Instead we need to pray for them that their hearts will change and become open, only then are we to teach again to them.

What about the pearls and the swine? Pearls were precious, more precious than other gems or precious metals. History tells us that Cleopatra's pearl was worth the value of several nations. Imagine taking something that is worth the value of Mexico or Canada or South Africa or even the United States and throwing it away to someone who doesn't appreciate it and will scorn it. That is the imagery here that Christ is using. The word for pearl in Greek is “margaritas” or “the precious thing.” However to the pigs, the pearl would at first look like an acorn. When they found that it wasn't what they wanted they would get mad. The hogs represent the people who are looking for what they want and instead of accepting something of great value, they would scorn it because it doesn't fit what they think it should be and they then would attack and abuse the person who tried to help them.

These vicious people hold everything that is not the same as what they desire in contempt and they despise those of us who accept that which they do not value, even though to us it is most precious and most holy But we must be able to perceive these people and we must pray for them too. God loves them too, just as much as He loves you or I. Christ died for them the same as He died for you and I. We must love them and we must stand in the gap for them, praying for their salvation and interceding on their behalf. Just because we cannot share God's gospel with these people does not mean that we are not to pray for them. Who are we in daily contact with that fits this verse? Let us pray for them! Let us love them! Let us be to them as Christ was to us and someday they too will be able to hear the gospel!