During the sermon on the mount, just after speaking to His disciples about judgment and reproof, Jesus provides important guidance in an interesting metaphor that is very easy to overlook or misunderstand if taken out of context.
6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[e] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
Jesus had just cautioned His disciples not to judge others and condemn them as sinners but rather to focus on addressing the sin in our own lives first and then to help others address the sin in their lives… to act in love to help sinners turn from sin and toward Christ. Now in verse 6, Jesus clarifies that we are certainly called to use discernment and wisdom in sharing the gospel and in our attempts to help others to come to know Jesus.
Jesus calls us to share the good news of the gospel with sinners as He did in His earthly ministry. However, some people will never accept or even respect the gospel or our efforts to share it. They will mock and persecute us as Christians… try to manipulate and trample the sacred scripture we share with them. The guidance in Matthew 7:6 is similar to the guidance God give in Matthew 10:14.
14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.
Essentially what Jesus is addressing is the following:
- We are called to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with sinners.
- We have limited time and resources with which to share the gospel and unlimited number of people who need to be reached.
- We must use our time effectively and efficiently. We use discernment and wisdom to understand the times, places, people, and type of communication that are most effective.
- If we linger trying to force someone to accept the truth who wishes only to mock it and us as followers of Jesus, we will miss sharing the gospel with many others who may genuinely receive the word and turn to Jesus.
As always, we can come before God humbly in prayer and ask for wisdom and clarity in this area to help us know when and with whom we should share the gospel… and for how long before we shake the dust from our sandals and move on.
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