Appreciate the Gift

Judgment...can be a difficult thing to do correctly. Maybe it is an official trying to determine the correct call on a play, a judge determining whose correct in a courtroom, or deciding which item will be the best for your needs on a particular job. It can have its difficulties.

Usually the times in which judgment is easy are when we do not gain the necessary information to make the correct "ruling."

Jesus discusses judgment in the first part of Matthew 7, specifically, verses 1-5. Then, in verse 6 he uses the idea of judging and makes a profound and deep statement, “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." This was our text for Sunday. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Who? ~ Dogs tear things apart, similar to their kin, the wolf. Pigs do not have a "conscience" in the sense that they will eat practically anything and trample on whatever is under their feet. People who are willing to do this are who Jesus is mentioning. Do you know someone who likes to tear lives apart and just run over whatever is in its path? This is probably someone Jesus is discussing. This person should not be offered the greatness of salvation, at this point, because they are not at a point of being able to receive it. The preciousness of salvation will just be ripped up and/or trampled on.
• Determination? ~ Be careful who you put into this category. Jesus had just mentioned about not judging. If you put someone in this category just because they are obscene, profane, or evil, they still may be needing to hear the good news that comes from knowing about Jesus. You may be taking away someone's opportunity to hear what they need to hear. This is a tough call...probably worth praying about and asking God for clarity.
• Err on Side of Caution? ~ As I sometimes will buy my son a toy that may be a bit too "old" for him, I am giving him a chance at playing with something fun. Occasionally, that will result in him tearing things up. As we think about casting out what is sacred, or connected to God, to people - trying to decide if they are dogs/pigs - maybe there are times we should cast it out regardless, and see if the heart is fertile. Maybe we'll know if it is not fertile based on their reaction, then we can determine that for the next time.
• See Yourself ~ Have you been tearing the "good news" to pieces and not appreciating its benefits? Have you been trampling the pearls underfoot? Think about who you are being when you are trying to determine who you are not going to "cast" to.
Until really studying and researching this verse, did I realize how tough and deep it goes. It is similar to a vein of gold that may run deeper than seeing it on the surface.

We are not to judge, but we are to determine who are pigs and swine...tough thing to do! Good luck fulfilling the verse!