Read, again: Matthew 7:1-12

Matthew 7:6 records one of my least favorite words from Jesus – “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.”

Later in his ministry, a Canaanite woman knelt before Jesus, pleading with him to deliver her daughter from demon-possession.

“Lord, help me!” she said.

Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

(Matthew 15:25-26)

Jesus was clearly “doggin’ her out,” as we would say, reflecting the current attitude toward Gentiles: To a reverent Jew, all non-Jews were non-persons – dogs. And in the hierarchy of the animal kingdom, pigs were even lower, declared unclean and banned as a food source (cf.Leviticus 11).

Are you okay with Jesus apparently co-signing on calling other human beings dogs and pigs, and therefore unworthy of receiving that which is “sacred” or the “pearls” entrusted to us (Jesus later compared the gospel of the kingdom to a “pearl of great value” – Matthew 13:45)? No, I’m not comfortable with that either.

Here’s what I think Jesus intended by his canine-and-swine warning: If we’re inclined to share the good news with someone, but if we think of that someone as less than a fellow image-bearer of God – as a dog or a pig! – we should just not do it. Such aggressive and condescending evangelism will be counterproductive: Those “someones” are bound to sense our attitude toward them, and may trample whatever we have to say under their feet, and turn and tear us to pieces!

The best corrective to heavy-handed and patronizing evangelism is to wait . . . to wait until the anticipatory radiance of our lifestyles in the beloved community evokes questions, real curiosity about why we follow Jesus as we do. We should wait and be ready: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . . .” 

I Peter 3:15-16 urges evangelistic “gentleness and respect” because fellow image-bearers of God deserve nothing less.

– Pastor Dave