What did HE say? (continued)
Thoughts on The Sermon (Part 10)
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6). This seems so strange a saying to have in this place of His Sermon. Vincent, in his word studies, compares this to Jewish priests of that time throwing pieces of sacrificial offerings (which are considered holy) to the dogs or the wanton casting by some rich man of small ‘seed pearls’ to the swine which resembled their feed. Realizing that it is not food they would trample them and turn on the person who cast them****. This is not the picture of this that is considered today. Today this is more to say that we are not to share our ‘holy Christian faith’ with those who would neither understand nor appreciate it. Some, in this context, say that Jesus use of the word dogs speaks of savage or snarling haters of truth and His use of pigs refers to the impure or coarse and unappreciative. This is alluding that Jesus is singling out persons, as low as they may appear to be, to not be taught? There is good common sense way to see this saying in today’s world and some variation of it may have been applicable then as well. For example, would we go into a nightclub with a bible and begin to teach those there on the wrongfulness of their actions? It would not be the proper time or place to do this, to approach these people, because they are not ready for what is to be said will probably be outwardly against it and perhaps even hostile.
Taking this idea with a modern understanding we could say that His intent is to show us to be frugal in our approach to others and to give them only what they may be ready for. This is why Jesus taught in parables and did not dispense His truth directly; many were not ready to hear it; even in listening they would not understand. This is still true today and is perhaps a part of the reason for the large number of approaches to Christ in this very diversified Christian church. People naturally gravitate to that type of teaching that suits them and the pastors, in their places, teach what the people are there for. But let us remember that even with Jesus teaching in parables and holding back the mysteries of God from the masses He did heal them all. Those not ready to accept or understand His teachings still did get what they had come for and left as changed persons without knowing the deeper meanings. The message here then should be to give, but to give in wisdom and understanding, to all who come. To those who are ready give much and to those who are not give only what they can accept.
The next verses so naturally follow this thought both for ourselves and for the world that we would seek to enlighten with our understanding and knowledge. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened . Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11). This message is simple and does apply to all that ask of the Lord. But what do we ask in this context that the Master gives us? He does not discus any specific things and it is here the He is beginning His teaching on our entry into the Kingdom of God. Knowing this should we ask for understanding, should we seek after the Light, should we knock on the door of the Kingdom of God? These seem to be the things that we would ask of the Father? And in kind, when people come to one who is learned in spiritual matters to ask understanding or to seek Light or knock on the door that can be open into the Kingdom, this learned person need to give also what is the need.
So for what do we ask? Some say that we should ask for whatever we want to have and then to have faith to receive it. Many merge this saying from Matthew into the many other verses of a similar nature such as this from the Gospel of Mark where we see: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24) and this is a probably the most popular verse of the church teaching on getting what it is you want in this life.
There is of course no answer to this question of what do we ask for. Each person in his heart must know what they believe the Master is instructing us to do. So if we ask for understanding or ask that we can pay our bills off is a matter of personal preference or the teaching that a person subscribes to. For our purposes this should be taken to mean that we are asking for those things that are of the Kingdom of God and not those things that are of the world; Jesus does not teach us how to succeed in the this world, He teaches us how to get to the Kingdom. The discourse here relating a worldly father to the Father in heaven shows us the truth of the Fatherhood of God in that we can always expect what is Good and True and Beautiful from the Father and much more so than anything from the world. It is interesting to note that in the Gospel of Luke Jesus words are recorded differently. The words used there should shed some light on the intent of the Master. In Matthew we find “how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him” as seen above and in Luke we find His word as thus: “how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Luke here paints a very clear picture of Jesus’ intent showing that what we should ask for and what we should expect to receive are Kingdom things. Jesus here tells us that the Holy Spirit is available to us for the asking; there are no special requirements, we do not need to be baptized or need someone laying hands on us. All we need is to ask and we shall receive, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened and this is the door to the Kingdom of God which, as we know, is within us. It is in the Holy Spirit that we find is the power of the Christ Within and a taste of the Presence of God.
We close today’s post with the beginning of tomorrow’s as it follows directly on His teaching just discussed regarding asking and seeking and knocking and with His comparison of what we would get from the world versus what we will get from God. Knowing then that Jesus is saying to us that “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? before going directly into the Golden Rule, we should see that there is a connection. The next verse then says: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). We should always recognize that the use of therefore is meant to follow upon the previous thought. According to Webster’s the word means for that or this reason, referring to something previously stated; Consequently; by consequence* So then in a single thought we see here that the Master is telling us that because we give good to our children even though we are ‘evil’ and the Father gives so much more to us as His Children that we should do to all men what we would want all men to do to us. And He then reminds us that this is the Law and the Prophets so to say this always was the way and it still is. God gives us all good things (the Holy Spirit according to Luke) and we should do (give) to all men what we would want them to do (give) to us. In this are all the problems of this life resolved.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
Leaving again the Quote of the Day from yesterday. Not because I can’t get back to my desk as is usually the case but because it is a testament to those things that we should be asking of the Lord and which are representative of the Holy Ghost. Wisdom, understanding and knowledge which will lead us to understanding the fear (reverence and respect and awe) of the Lord and the knowledge of God so that in this world we can understand righteousness and judgement and equity and be preserved by discretion and understanding. Thus are we in a position to treat everyone as we would want to be treated ourselves.
….incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee (Proverbs 2:2-11)
Wisdom is knowledge, and the capacity to make use of it*.
- * Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913
- **** Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
