“Don’t give a smoker money to buy a good meal because he will just buy more cigarettes,” says 9-year-old Waymon.
The dangers of smoking are well documented, but I don’t think Jesus had smoking in mind here. If you’re smoking two packs a day, your throat and lungs may feel like fried bacon, but that’s another matter.
“Don’t play around with people who do the wrong thing and fight hard,” says Jalen, 6. This is great advice for prolonging your life on the playground, but where’s the connection to pigs and pearls, Jalen? ?
One of the most disturbing interpretations comes from Jacob, 6: “I would never give my toy to my sister.” Wait, Jacob! If you are using this verse to justify “hoarding” your toys, it won’t work.
Remember the three rules for interpreting the Bible or any text: context, context, and context. Let’s look at this verse in a slightly broader context: “Do not give the holy to dogs, nor throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them and they turn and tear you to pieces” (Matthew 7: 6). ).
Here we have dogs, pearls, pigs and someone in pieces. What’s going on here?
The big clue is the first part of the verse, “Don’t give the holy to the dogs.” Something sacred is forbidden for dogs. I know this will be hard for dog lovers to believe, but when Jesus said these words, dogs weren’t man’s best friends. They generally traveled in packs and were very dangerous.
Calling someone a “dog” in the first century was the lowest insult. As they say in Texas, “They are fighting with words.”
The only thing worse than being called a “dog” was being called a “pig.” It is still very effective today. According to the dietary laws given by God for Israel, the pig was a forbidden and unclean animal. It was common for first century Jews to refer to Gentiles as pigs because they considered them unclean.
One thing is for sure. Jesus did not try to appease scoffers. You offended them on purpose.
Let’s look at 10-year-old Jennifer to get more light on what Jesus meant: “Jesus said don’t give your pearls to a pig because a pig is too dumb to understand what a pearl is worth.”
Spiritual nonsense has nothing to do with one’s IQ. You can be a certified genius and be dumb as a rock in spiritual matters.
But the warning here involves more than spiritual nonsense, as in pigs trampling on valuable pearls. There is a parallel thought at the end of the verse that refers to dogs.
What is this holy thing that makes dogs turn on you and tear you to pieces? For the answer, we turn to 12-year-old Sara: “Don’t try to give the gospel to people who have already rejected it.”
This could be called General Patton’s strategy for spreading the good news. Instead of going through fortifications, Patton’s tank commanders surrounded them.
Jesus spoke of the religious leaders who were offended by what he said: “Let them go. They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, they will both fall into the pit” (Matthew 15:14).
Don’t waste your time preaching to those who are obviously hardened and dismissive.
Think about this: the pearl of great value in Matthew’s gospel is the messianic king and kingdom predicted by the ancient prophets.
Memorize this truth: “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for beautiful pearls, who, when he found a pearl of great price, went, sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45 -46). .
Ask this question: Then and now, some see Jesus Christ as the promised messiah and trust him as their savior, while others scoff at him and dismiss him with disdain. What are you going to do
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