Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine

Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine

Today's message features two hard sayings, of the Lord. They are "hard" because they offend the beliefs of thinned skin postmodernist. Since they are difficult for "post moderns" to hear, many can be easily taken back by their abrupt and coarse intimations. Here is the "offending verse:

Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Mat 7:6)

The postmodern view: You're not supposed to use name calling in a highly evolved society such as ours. This notion, though not wrong in itself, has become a rather excessively applied norm in our times and also misses the point in terms of this passage.

Here we have Jesus calling certain (un-named) people dogs and swine! Our society demands explanation in times like these of such horrible words coming forth from the sinless Lord Jesus.

One of the reasons people are so easily offended in our modern age is, they lack understanding, to a great extent, of simile and metaphor.

A simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things and normally includes words such as "like" and "as." For example: "He is as swift and strong as a horse!" Similes have the two ideas remain distinct in spite of their similarities.

Metaphors compare two things without using "like" or "as". For example, "He's a real work-horse!" Metaphors are usually more forceful than similes since the distinction intended between the compared things is often ambiguous. For example if I were to observe someone doing something mean or cruel I might say, "Wow, what a dog!" Now the expression does not mean I have gone blind and think that this person is actually a dog. I mean that he is manifesting qualities of a (wild or mean) dog. However, just how distinct he is from an actual dog is left open to interpretation. But for the record, I am NOT saying he is a dog.
The point here is that some appreciation for the nuances of language and the art of comparison are necessary as we negotiate life's road.

Examining what the Lord says - as we examine the Lord's "offensive" sayings here, let's look at them both in terms of their historical root and then to what is being taught.

1. First of all let's be clear that the Jewish people were not indicating positive traits when they used the term dog or swine to refer to someone.

Dogs in the ancient world were not the pets of today. They were wild animals and ran in packs.

Pigs were unclean animals and something no Jew would ever touch, let alone eat. These are strong metaphors indicating significant aversion to some aspect of the person.

2. Do not give what is holy to dogs- This was a Jewish saying that was rooted in tradition. Some of the meat that had been sacrificed to God in the Temple could be eaten by humans, especially the Levites. Never was it to be thrown to dogs or other animals to eat. If it was not eaten by humans it was to be burned. Hence holy and sanctified meat was not to be thrown to dogs because it was holy.

3. [Do not] throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot - Pearls were an image for wisdom in the Old Testament. Now the point here is that Pigs valued nothing they could not eat. Pearls could not be eaten, if they were placed before pigs they would sniff them, determine they were not food, and simply trample them underfoot.

4. So what is being said? Sacred matters, sacred things, wisdom and participation in sacred things should not be easily offered to those who are incapable of appreciating them. There are those who despise what we call holy. There is little that can be done in such cases except deny them the pleasure of tearing apart holy things or trampling them underfoot.
Jesus is saying that some people are like dogs who tear apart sacred things and have no concept of their holiness. Some people are like pigs who do not appreciate anything they cannot eat or use for their pleasure. They simply trample under foot anything that does not please them or make sense to them in the same way that pigs would trample pearls underfoot or dogs irreverently tear apart blessed food dedicated to God.

Further, there are some who, though not hostile, are ignorant of sacred realities. They do not perhaps intend offense but it is necessary that they should be taught and then instructed on deeper mysteries.
The Lord is indicating that holy things are to be shared in appropriate ways with those who are able to appreciate them. It is usually necessary to be led into the Holy and just walk for the unprepared or unappreciative.

Careful instruction and gradual introduction to sacred truth is necessary before sharing something so holy. Even the unintentional trampling underfoot of sacred realities through simple ignorance was to be strictly avoided.

To be sure, these were historically difficult times for the Church and persecution was common. The Lord's warning to protect the holy things was not just that they might be trampled underfoot, but also that those who were like unto wild dogs and swine might not turn and tear you to pieces (Mat 7:6).

Does this information serve the 21 century church? I propose that today people are just as they were in the first century church if not worse. Criticisms easily abound for things that are not understood. Scripture comes under the scrutiny of "Human Wisdom" today perhaps more than it ever has. Those claiming to be wise deny the simple truths of Gods word and deny Him right to rule over their destinies because of their Spiritual blindness.

That being said, our Lord's instruction still applies to the 21 century church. Some things just never change.