Dogs and Swine

Matthew 7

The Sermon on the Mount

Vs. 1-2, Judging

Judge not, that you be not judged.
For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. 

Jesus is saying that if we are judgmental, then we also will be judged with the same judgmentalism we have given out. So if we are gentle and compassionate in our judgment of others' characters, then we also will receive the same from them. He's not saying that we should not be discerning. 

Vs. 3-5, Beam and mote

And why do you see the mote that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the mote out of your eye, when the beam is in your own eye? 
You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the mote out of your brother's eye. 

Jesus is using humor here: can you imagine someone with a two-by-four stuck in his eye?

This is paying attention to someone else's misdemeanor while we are ignoring our own much more serious crime. It's deflecting attention from our own destructive addiction to someone else's slight mistake. 

He is saying that we need to pay attention to our own walk in following Christ, and keep on that narrow path, before we will be qualified to assist someone else who needs help. We need to be where we need to be in order to help someone else. 

But then we are to help our brother. It's painful to have a speck in your eye. Those who have gained the victory over their weakness will be able to share with another how they did it, and encourage them along. 

V. 6, Pearls and swine

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 

This sounds disasterous. We have holy pearls of wisdom to share with others, and we invite them to learn and do better in life. But we need to be discerning about what we say to who, and how we say it. 

There are people out there who refuse to listen to reason, and when someone tries to help them, they are slandered and dragged through the mud for it. 

Those who refuse good sense will not be open to God's wisdom, either. So when the righteous people do what is righteous, these "dogs" and "swine" will react with trying to destroy the righteousness (trample them under their feet) and those who are promoting it (turn and tear you to pieces). 

That's why we have so much negative press attacking those in office who are doing what will lead our Nation back into the prosperity we enjoyed before our moral tone fell so low. 

And we need also to take this personally in our living every day in the neighborhood and society and culture in which we find ourselves. We don't want to invite attacks, but we do have a responsibility to show others that better way, through Christ our Redeemer. 

O my Father, please help me to be Christ to those who don't know Him yet. Help me to be open and gentle and understanding and compassionate with others whose path intersects with mine. Help me to see them with Your eyes, not my own, that I might see them as precious as You do. 

Father, please protect those who are living in glass houses of power and authority, as they do what You have enabled them to do for our Nation. Protect them and their families and their staff and those who are helping them turn this Nation back to Your righteousness that produces the prosperity You have put in this Earth for us all. 

Help Your children, Father, strengthen us and protect us, give us Your boldness with compassion, and enable us to accomplish the work of Your Kingdom, storming the gates of Hell, pulling Your lost sheep out of the fire. 

Father, send more laborers into Your fields that are already ripe for harvest; lead us to those who are seeking You, protecting us from the dogs and swine that defy everything that is good and wholesome and right. 

That all the lost sheep would be found and brought into the safety of the One Fold with One Shepherd. That every knee will bow, and every tongue in every language will profess Your glory and majesty and authority and greatness over all that You have created and made.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!