What did Jesus mean by don't throw your pearls before swine? Actually, this is something that's interesting. I really appreciate this question because it's something I've wrestled with as well when engaging with people. I don't know what the context of this question is, and maybe I shouldn't read into it too much, but how do we engage with people in a loving, caring way when it just doesn't feel like there's any interest in it? I'm curious what your thoughts are on what Jesus meant by that.
Yeah, there's no surprise here. I mean, the early church, I think, understood it the way most of us apply it on the gospel that you're not going to prejudge somebody and say you're not worthy that I'm going to share the gospel. But at this point, when it's obvious this person is just going to hold it in contempt, that it's okay. We should feel okay to realize I'm throwing pearls before swine. This is getting nowhere and I can move on. And we shouldn't feel guilty about that.
I'll give you a real life illustration when this was a number of years ago. My wife and I were in York, England on a visit. And there was an evangelical street preacher. And he was walking the middle of the street denouncing what was going to happen to England because of its laws on homosexuality. And people were just laughing at him. And this college student was just walking right by him and shouting in his face and mocking him and all of that.
And I felt really bad for my brother out there, but I also thought you're throwing your pearls before swine. These people are not interested in the message. He had, you know, he didn't understand the two kingdoms, so his message was a little off anyway. But yeah, it was a total waste of time. He should have realized I'm actually lowering the gospel, talking to these people who are just mocking my every word. Yeah, that's really good. He says, don't give what is holy to dogs. They apply that mainly to communion.
Communion something holy to unbaptized people or to Christians who are living an ungodly life. That's interesting. I really appreciated what you said up front there as far as we don't discount people or assume someone's not worth the time. We give people opportunities. We do pour our heart into people. But at some point, we can leave that situation with a heavy heart if it doesn't go anywhere or it's just obviously not going anywhere, but we don't necessarily have to feel guilty about not pushing into that anymore.
We can actually go somewhere where people have the heart to hear, the eyes to see, kind of like have the eye that's healthy and willing to see the truth or willing to become healthy. So I really appreciate.
No materials available for this lesson.