We continue to draw our gospels from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Today the Gospel is taken from Matthew 7 which is the concluding part of the Sermon. The opening verse is not the most attractive saying: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (v.6). It might be surprising to hear such harshness as the verse comes immediately after Jesus has taught “Stop judging…” (v.1) and right before the “golden rule”: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” (v.12)

Dogs in the ancient Near East were generally not household pets. They were scavengers, roaming in packs around villages. They symbolized what was unclean or outside the covenant community. Swine were ceremonially unclean animals according to the Mosaic Law. Jesus is not making a comparison with these two unclean animals and people, rather he is vividly reminding people about holiness. “Do not give what is holy…” refers to things consecrated to God. Under the Law, meat from certain sacrifices belonged to God and was never to be treated casually or thrown to animals. The dog will have no concern about the meat having been an offering to God. Pearls, meanwhile, were among the most valuable possessions a person could own. Pigs cannot recognize their value. To a pig, a pearl is no more useful than a pebble. The says something immensely valuable is being offered to someone incapable of recognizing its value.

Across the ages, the Church’s understanding has been consistent. The most common interpretation is that Jesus is teaching discernment and learning to exercise prudence. The Gospel is offered to everyone, but not every moment is the right moment for every conversation. That is when discernment is needed. Sometimes a person is simply not ready to hear. Jesus himself demonstrates this as He speaks differently to the crowds, the disciples, the Pharisees, Pontius Pilate, and King Herod. Before Herod, Jesus remains silent. It is not because Herod is beyond redemption, but because Herod seeks only entertainment, not truth.

Discernment is not a lack of charity. It is part of wisdom.

Jesus is saying evangelization requires wisdom. He is not saying, “Give up on difficult people” as He send the apostles to everyone – even to the ends of the earth. But he also cautions them to seek discernment: “Whatever town or village you enter… if the house is unworthy… leave.” (Mt 10ff) and “if anyone will not welcome you… shake the dust from your feet.” (Mt 10:14) Sometimes continuing an argument only hardens hearts further. Sometimes silence witnesses more powerfully than debate.

This passage may be more relevant today than ever. We live in a culture of constant argument. Social media encourages endless debate. People often feel obligated to respond to every criticism of the Church, every hostile comment, every provocative post. Jesus reminds us that not every discussion is fruitful. Not every argument deserves our participation. Not every critic is genuinely seeking the truth. There is a difference between someone who asks sincere questions and someone who merely wishes to mock, ridicule, or provoke. Wisdom lies in knowing the difference. As Saint Augustine observed, charity itself sometimes requires us to recognize when further discussion will do more harm than good.

There is also another, gentler way to hear this Gospel. Think about the most precious things in your life:

• your deepest friendships,
• your love for your family,
• your most profound experiences of God,
• moments of prayer that changed your life.

These are pearls. Do not speak about them carelessly. Share them with people who will receive them reverently. The Gospel is the greatest pearl of all. Share it generously but also wisely. Pray for the grace to recognize when a heart is ready to receive it, and when the more loving response is to step back, continue praying, and wait for the Spirit to prepare the soil.

Ultimately, evangelization is not about winning arguments. It is about helping people discover the incomparable pearl that is life in Christ and in so doing encounter holiness.

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Image credit: Sermon on the Mount (1877) by Carl Heinrich Bloch, Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Public Domain