Reflection on Mt 7:6
What is meant by the words holy and pearl? The Lord Jesus means above all His Word and the Divine mystery. Our Pearl is Christ and His Gospel. In the Divine Liturgy, we pray before Holy Communion: “I will not reveal the mysteries to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas.”
Who are the dogs? In the first place religious Pharisees but also all people who do not have good intentions at present but consciously resist the Spirit of Christ. “But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practises a lie.” (Rev 22:15)
Who are swine? People knowingly indulging in sinful lusts (homosexuals, paedophiles, transsexuals, fornicators, adulterers…) who shamelessly resist the Gospel of Christ (the Law of God) and refuse to repent of their slavery to sin.
Certainly, the time may come when the “dogs” and “swine” will humble their hearts and be willing to listen to the Gospel of Christ. However, if their hearts are hardened – which we can see by their way of life or by a few sentences when talking with them, the Lord commands us not to open our hearts to them or to be open with them when speaking about Christ. They will not receive our words about Jesus, but rather will defile them and hold us up to ridicule, and it is often the case that if they have church or state power, they will seek to harm us.
Jesus preached the Gospel to the poor and sinners who desired forgiveness. As a rule, however, He ignored religious leaders and arrogant people who had state power. He openly said to the Pharisees and Sadducees that they were vipers and spoke not one word to Herod.
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