"Don't give holy things to dogs. They will only turn and hurt you. And don't throw your pearls to pigs. They will only step on them.
- Matthew 7:6 (ERV)
THOUGHT:
Wow! Jesus uses really strong language here. At first, he seems to be breaking the very command that he just gave about being non-judgmental. But instead, Jesus is reminding us that being non-judgmental does not mean we are undiscerning, wasteful, and silly.
We are to recognize that there are some people so hardened to receiving the message that they will not listen; we are to quit wasting our time in trying to convince them. He chooses the powerful imagery of a well-known proverb to make his point. He says similar things in a softer way elsewhere.
The bottom line, however, is that there comes a time when we realize that people will not hear the Gospel message. Their repeated determination not to hear and their unwillingness to respond don't mean we are to try harder, but simply to try elsewhere! Being a nonjudgmental person does not mean we refuse to "see the handwriting on the wall" and keep wasting our efforts on those who refuse to hear.
PRAYER:
Father of all mercy, give me wisdom to know when you have opened a door for me to reach out to my friends, family and neighbors, and when to move on to others. I don't want to give up too quickly on those who might respond, but neither do I want to simply try to be more hardheaded than those refusing to hear and further annoy them by continuing to try. Please lead me to those who are ready to hear of your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures:
"When you enter a city or town, find some worthy person there and stay in his home until you leave. When you enter that home say, 'Peace be with you.' If the people in that home welcome you, then they are worthy of your peace. May they have the peace you wished them
But if the people don't welcome you, then they are not worthy of your peace. Take back the peace you wished for them. And if a home or town refuses to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place. Shake their dust off your feet. I tell you the truth. On the judgment day it will be worse for that town than for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. - Matthew 10:11-15
But Paul and Barnabas spoke very boldly. They said, "We must speak the message of God to you Jews first. But you refuse to listen. You are making yourselves lost--not worthy of having eternal life! So we will now go to the people of other nations! - Acts 13:46
"I want you Jews to know that God has sent his salvation to the non-Jewish people. They will listen!" Paul stayed two full years in his own rented house. He welcomed all people that came and visited him. Paul told people about the kingdom of God. He taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. He was very bold (brave), and no one tried to stop him from speaking. - Acts 28:28-31
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