Did you know that the Bible’s “Pearls before Swine,” “Do Unto Others,” “Get the Log Out of Your Eye,” and “Ask, Seek, Knock” propositions all happen in the same paragraph – the same narrative section?

In other words they’re all related to each other. They are not isolated, stand-alone ideas. They all point to one overarching proposition, one that the entire Bible revolves around, according to Jesus.

This section happens within the “Sermon on the Mount,” where Jesus sits down on top of a mountain, disciples at his feet, and lays down his law. A first-century Jewish Christian would read this and be immediately reminded of Moses, climbing a mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from God himself.

We have to be careful with this section of Jesus’ sermon as its easy to ministerpret. If we don’t respect how each element is related to the other, we will (and frequently do) miss the point. For example:

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” ~ Matthew 7:6

This seems to suggest that certain people are “pigs” and/or “dogs” who are too stupid to appreciate things that are “sacred.” It’s understandable how the modern church uses this passage to defend the distance it keeps from the non-Christian world. They can’t understand, the reasoning goes, and will tear us to pieces if we’re not careful.

They’re like animals.

If we, instead, consider the overarching context of this passage, we get a different understanding of Jesus’ meaning, one that, instead, indicts the person throwing the pearls. A 30,000 foot view might read like this:

• • Do not judge others.
  • You’re not qualified.
  • Do not force your beliefs on others.
  • Who does that?
  • God doesn’t do that.
  • Therefore, treat others like you want to be treated.

If I interpret “Pearls before Swine” as “protect yourself from all the dirty unreligious pigs of the world” it simply doesn’t fit the gist of the narrative section it lives in. It certainly doesn’t fit the Jesus who embraced the worst of the worst in his culture, crowning them the leaders of his movement.

Jesus is simply teaching his disciples (us included) how to interact with people they don’t agree with, people who might be going astray, even sinning egregiously, in need of a loving rebuke. If they’re not open to our “holy” advice, or “pearlescently sacred” way of doing things, his reasoning goes, it’s best not to force it, or get pushy, or stand at a distance and judge them.

It’s much easier to deal with our own sin as that’s the only sin we’re in control of, and there will always be plenty of it.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” ~ Matthew 7:3-5

With regards to “Pearls before Swine,” Jesus’ audience would have been familiar with the care of animals, taken aback by the thought of someone trying to feed an animal something it can’t digest. Of course it would see the pearlcaster as the only edible thing in the pen.

“Pigs cannot digest pearls, cannot nourish themselves upon them. Likewise for a dog with a Bible or a crucifix. The dog cannot eat it. The reason these animals will finally “turn and rend you,” when you one day step up to them with another load of Bibles or pearls, is that you at least are edible. Anyone who has ever had serious responsibilities of caring for animals will understand immediately what Jesus is saying. And what a picture this is of our efforts to correct and control others by pouring our good things, often truly precious things, upon them—things that they nevertheless simply cannot ingest and use to nourish themselves. Often we do not even listen to them. We “know” without listening. Jesus saw it going on around him all the time, as we do today. And the outcome is usually exactly the same as with the pig and the dog. Our good intentions make little difference. The needy person will finally become angry and attack us. The point is not the waste of the “pearl” but that the person given the pearl is not helped.” ~ Dallas Willard

In all of this, Jesus is addressing the phenomenon of force, where person A passionately offers advice/instruction/correction/commandment to person B, who’s not interested in or “hungry” for what A is offering. A persists, B gets angry, A condemns, etc.

Nobody benefits.

The Christian world has long been forcing its views, values, politics, and theology – especially the part where you go to hell if you don’t convert to our religion – onto people who are hungry for something else. Now those people are mad, to put it mildly, and aren’t interested in anything we have to say.

But it’s not our fault right? They’re the “pigs,” the “unholy.”

They don’t even know the value of a pearl.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a Christian social media post, or listened to a holy soundbite that spoke of a non-Christian or group of non-Christians as if their humanity might be in question.

How can we be so surprised when they return the favor?

Stones before Children

Following “Pearls before Swine,” Jesus talks about the ins and outs of openness.

“When you ask it is given to you; when you seek, you find; when you knock the door is opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?” ~ Matthew 7:7-11

Why would you give something to someone who hasn’t asked for it? If a friend of mine wants connection, or intimacy, or understanding, or a good party, but I instead give them rote religion and/or condemnation and judgment – biblically justified as it may be – is that what God wants me to do? Just because I’m talking about “God’s stuff” doesn’t mean I’m batting for his team. Hell, folks have used Heaven’s lexicon for millenium to destroy lives.

And why do bible, religion, et-al. trump things like connection, intimacy, and compassion?

Or a good party.

One Golden, Overarching Rule

Jesus concludes this section of the Sermon on the Mount with the main point of his discourse (my paraphrase) “God himself doesn’t force things on people who haven’t asked for them. Therefore, treat others as you would have them treat you.”

Boom.

In the New Testament, you’ll find scores of episodes where Christians try to convince non-Christians to become Christians. In every case, the audience is open; Christians are asked to talk about Jesus and/or address a crowd that wants to know more. You’ll never find the early evangelists forcing their views on others, or awkwardly beginning religious conversations with non-religious people who simply aren’t hungry for whatever it is they’re peddling.

This section in the Sermon on the Mount has huge implications for Christians who seek to talk about Jesus with non-Christians, or for Christians who think our country should operate under a particular political ideology, judging the holy hell out of anyone who doesn’t agree.

Nobody wants to be treated like that.

No Christian wants to be sat down and judged, or listen to someone try to force their beliefs on them, or hear about how they’re going to hell because they haven’t accepted the Buddha as their personal lord and savior. Jesus is commanding his disciples, therefore, to not do that to anyone else.

To drive this point home to his very Jewish, bible-believing disciples, he finished his thought with the proposition that every single scrap of the Old Testament (and by proxy the New) revolves around this:

“So in everything, do unto others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” ~ Matthew 7:12

Really? The entire bible?

I don’t know many Christians, myself included, whose spiritual manifesto has “Do unto Others” at its core. If we audit God’s army, you’d think God wanted morality more than anything else, or worship, or huge buildings, or conservative politics.

I have a hard time believing that the entirety of God’s word is summed up in such a simple idea. But I have no problem believing that the world would change drastically if everyone’s life, Christian or not, revolved around it

“Do Unto Others” ain’t sexy, and it sure ain’t spiritual. Rest assured that it’s much more difficult than weekly Bible studies, church attendance, or adherence to mainstream Evangelicalism’s moral code.

I wouldn’t give myself high marks for following this particular commandment. But because Jesus seemed to place it above everything else, I’ve got some work to do.