Pigs, Pearls & Unholy Dogs Revealed

While preaching His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed His listeners that they were not to pass judgment nor rebuke others. This is not the job of a person spreading the good news of salvation. He told the crowd that the way a person judges others would be the exact same way God will judge them (Matthew 7:1-2). There is no such thing as a perfectly righteous judge as all have sinned. Therefore, to judge someone automatically makes the judge a hypocrite. One sinner judging another sinner is an incredibly audacious and ridiculous act in the eyes of God, the only perfect judge. Jesus said that to judge the fault {dust} of another, you would first need to take the {fault} plank out of your own eye. Only then could you righteously judge another’s faults (Matthew 7:3-5). 

Then in verse 6 Jesus tempers these admonishments and explains that there is a difference between judgement and discernment. While we must not be hypocritical judges, we do need to learn how to “distinguish between the pigs and dogs” that believers will inevitably meet in their efforts to spread the good news of salvation and eternal life through Christ.

Jesus said, “Give not what is Holy to the dogs, and do not cast your pearls before pigs”. This dual reference to dogs and pigs is also found in (II Peter 2:22). Jesus is referring to those people one will meet who are determined to debate, ridicule and blaspheme the gospel when it is presented to them. In other words, one needs to be able to differentiate between those who are genuinely seeking as opposed to those who are only baiting. A seeker of truth versus a debater. One must use their God given discernment to recognize those who have made it their purpose in life to adamantly reject the idea. They have decided that following the teachings of Jesus infringes on their hedonistic, immoral and unrepentant lifestyles (I Corinthians 6:9; II Thessalonians 2:10-12). Repeatedly trying to share the gospel with this type of person is a waste of precious time when there are so many honest people hungry to hear the Word of God and obtain eternal life.

So, to continue to cast the pearls of gospel truths to these people is like casting pearls before a pig. This is a base animal who will never understand the value of what he is being offered and only trample it into the muck and mire he loves to wallow in. On the other hand, “to give a dog what is sacred” is to give something Holy to an animal that was seen as unclean. First century dogs were not allowed in homes as they ate from the garbage dumps, drank muddy water and were infested by various parasites and insects. And worst of all, a dog just like a pig, will always return to eat its own vomit (Proverbs 26:11). This is an appropriate comparison concerning those that are steadfastly against the gospel. They would rather continually regurgitate their own unholy beliefs over and over again than accept the Holy beliefs of the Word of God. A pig can look clean on the outside, but will always return to a muddy sty filled with its own excrement in order to be truly at peace with itself. A believer Born Again in the Spirit can clearly see the person’s pitiful state of being, and will naturally want to open their mind to salvation. But as the old adage goes, while you can lead a person to spiritual water, you can’t force them to drink.

However, the command to not waste time on dogs and pigs does not mean a believer is to refrain from talking about the gospel. Jesus regularly taught and had dinner with people who were disdained by society but wanted to hear what He had to say. These people included the poor, tax collectors that extorted extra payments, illegitimate Samaritan Jews, those ritually unclean, lepers, fishermen, prostitutes and many other types of societal outcasts (Matthew 9:11).

Jesus said, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words {wisdom}, shake the dust {rejection} of that person or place {off} and simply leave that home or town.” (Matthew 10:14) So, while we are to share the good news, we are not held responsible for a person's response to the good news. We are to plant seeds and let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting. Pigs and dogs will not appreciate what Jesus has done for them. As far as these people are concerned, Jesus died for nothing. The commission to spread the gospel does not involve trying to force the good news down a person’s throat, but only to introduce them to the idea that salvation and eternal life are only a prayer away. Jesus is saying to His followers that they are not to take the reaction of a fool personally. Instead, plant a seed and then move on.

In closing, the Word of God is like a treasure with each revelation a pearl of wisdom. The Holy Spirit is a constant companion and trusted guide. He will give a person the intuitive ability to discern who is ready to hear words of wisdom and who is not. A believers own personal treasure consists of faith which will automatically produce random acts of kindness performed throughout their lifetime.

This treasure is being stored in Heaven, and the amount of treasure stored will dictate the rewards they receive at the Bema Seat Judgement. This reward is the governance position they will hold during the Millennial Reign of Christ on Earth (Matthew 6:19-21; II Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10; Revelation 20:4-6).