OCTOBER 26, 2026 WHO’S THAT GUY UP THERE ON THE HILLSIDE? WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN? #32 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THROW PEARLS TO SWINE?
Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
These two statements appear quite puzzling until you consider the meaning of holiness. God is holy, righteous, just, and pure, dwelling in light so blinding that none of us can even glance upon His brightness and glory.
“Do not give dogs what is holy.” We need to be careful about what we say, what we do, and how we handle ourselves. There are some things we must consider before speaking about God and His holiness, for if you are speaking to someone with no more understanding than that of a dog, you are wasting your words. For such people, holiness is better lived out than spoken about. We should live holy lives, trusting that God who knows human hearts far better than we do will move in those around us if we remain true to Him.
But what about the swine? I grew up on a Midwestern hog farm, and I can speak from long experience that pigs are only one step away from being wild animals. I once watched my grandfather encounter an angry mother sow in a small pen. The sow tossed her head and went “WOOF!” and the right pant leg on my grandfather’s bib overalls was suddenly in shreds. Grandpa vaulted over the door to the pen, leaving the sow to stomp about in a high dudgeon.
Sadly, there are people who are just as unyielding as that sow, and if you try to explain the Kingdom of God to them, they may attack you physically or spiritually. Again, with such people, you can only live a life of holiness and service to God, trusting that God can move in their hearts.
Why does Jesus warn his followers about these problems? Many of us are problem-handlers and we feel that if we just try hard enough, we can fix anything. But many times, our foolish attempts at fixing other people resort in disaster. With the best of intentions, we might drive people further away from God.
May God help us to trust His timing and His working while we concentrate on remaining faithful to Him.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You to handle the dogs and the swine while we do our best to remain faithful to You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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