Matthew 7:1-6 Pearls and Pigs
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 10, 2019, Matthew 7:1-6
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
(Understanding the Text) I try to see the context and flow of the pattern of the verses, but I am confused about how verse 6 fits in with 1-5 or with 7-11. The first group is about not judging and the second group is about asking and receiving, but verse 6 is about not taking holy things and treasures and giving them to dogs and pigs who will trample the holiness and treasures and attack us. I’m wondering if it is not connected and was just thrown in at this point as the best place possible without context. It is true that we need to be aware that most of the world would throw our heavenly treasures back in our faces after first defacing them and soiling them as much as they can. This is true of beliefs, but also of emotions and our physical bodies. Guzik’s commentary says “Dogs and swine in this context are those who are hostile to the gospel. Our love for others must not blind us to their hardened rejection of the gospel.” and “Of course, Jesus did not say this to discourage us from sharing the gospel. He says this to call us to discernment, and to encourage us to look for prepared hearts.”
It’s interesting that Jesus does not say to ignore the speck in our brother’s eye. Instead, He says to get healing for ourselves first, and then help our brother remove the speck. Judge not that you be not judged is the flip side of forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. If we forgive, we are forgiven and if we judge without mercy, we will be judged without mercy. Guzik’s commentary points out an example from the Bible of the log and speck hypocrisy. “A good example of this kind of hypocrisy was David’s reaction to Nathan’s story about a man who unjustly stole and killed another man’s lamb. David quickly condemned the man, but was blind to his greater sin (2 Samuel 12).”
(Revelation of God) God is asking us to be like Him in character. He is merciful to all who will accept His mercy. It is only to those who refuse His gift that no mercy is extended. When we give God our hearts, we are safe. Unfortunately, we tend to give our hearts to the devil, and he shreds them to pieces. Jesus was giving excellent interpersonal advice. When we extend mercy, we receive it, but we need to be careful because there are selfish people who will take our relationships and slice us to pieces. However, one part of me says that God did not take His own advice. He cast Himself to us dogs/pigs and let us attack Him and trample Him. I guess the difference is that Jesus saw that some of the pigs and dogs could be transformed back into humans. I don’t have that vision, so I will have to be careful, I guess.
These verses are partly about the way God judges us, but I think the biggest application is that this is about our witness. The world will judge us with the same measure that we judge the world. If we are harsh and unforgiving, the world will return the favor, but if we forgive the ones who hurt us and judge others with mercy and love, it will soften hearts and people will extend the same mercy and love back to us. Maybe, that’s where verse six comes in. It’s warning us that there are some people out there, who will only return harshness and judgment even when we have extended mercy and love.
Guzik points out that many people try to apply the judge-not verse in a way that says that we have to accept everyone’s choices and lifestyles. However, this verse is not referring to accepting everyone. “The Christian is called to unconditionally love. But the Christian is not called to unconditional approval. We really can love people who do things that should not be approved of.” Maybe, that’s why verse 6 is there. Guzik says that the judge-not verse is not about acceptance, but about being judgmental and that we cannot know what is in a person’s heart. “Instead, Jesus is speaking against being judgmental, that is, judging motives and the inner man, which only God can know. We can judge the fruit of a man, but we can rarely judge their motives with accuracy.” We can see the fruits but not the heart.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I have a lot of logs, and it’s not my job to remove other people’s logs by condemning them. If someone asks for my help in removing a splinter, it’s my obligation to try to help, but I only have to help to the extent that God leads for two reasons. First, my own log may make my help more of a hindrance. Secondly, there are some people who the help is wasted on and who will abuse me and my help and make me unable to help others. I have a hard time judging when to help or when not to help, so I need Your guidance here. Lead me to the ones that You have for me to help and protect me from the “swine” and “dogs” who will use me and hurt me and attack You in the process.