12.28.2025. Sunday Sermon
Pastor Jeungbok Lee
Text: Matthew 7:6
Title: Spiritual Discernment
Matthew 7:6
“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.”
During my university years, I commuted about one hour by bus to get home. In the evenings, I often sat in the back seat of the bus and shared the gospel with the person next to me. On that bus, there were people I knew and people I did not know. There was also a senior from middle school whom I often encountered on my way home, and one day I shared the gospel with him. He listened quietly without saying anything, so I thought the evangelism had gone well. However, a few days later, what I heard through my younger sibling was shocking. That senior had been extremely uncomfortable because of me and had angrily complained to my sibling.
At that moment, I realized something important: the message of salvation does not always sound like good news to everyone. To some, the gospel is the sound of life that awakens their souls; to others, it is nothing more than an irritating noise. We have a mission to share the gospel with everyone, but at the same time, we must protect the holy value of the gospel through spiritual discernment. Through today’s passage, I would like us to reflect together on to whom we should not give what is holy.
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1. Believers Must Have Spiritual Discernment That Goes Beyond Judgment
1.1) A summary of last week’s sermon on Matthew 7:1–5, “Do Not Judge.”
Before removing the speck (mistake) from our brother’s eye, we must first remove the log (sin) from our own eye, and then help remove the speck (mistake) from our brother’s eye. However, criticizing another brother’s mistake while still having a log (sin) in one’s own eye is a wrong kind of judgment. Jesus rebuked such critics as hypocrites. In order not to become hypocritical judges, we must cleanse the sin within us through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Only then can we lovingly help remove the speck from our brother’s eye. As a result, the church, where God’s people gather, will become healthier and more filled with grace.
1.2) Spiritual discernment is absolutely necessary for zealous believers who desire to care for their brothers and sisters in love.
Matthew 18:14–17
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does not desire to lose even one of His people. Therefore, when brothers and sisters in the church community become aware that a fellow believer has committed sin and is heading down the path of death, they must clearly admonish and rebuke him so that he may turn away from that sin.
However, if the command of Matthew 7:1–5—“do not judge, but love your brother”—is applied without discernment, it results in the situation described in Matthew 7:6: giving what is holy to dogs and throwing pearls before pigs.
Matthew 18 also shows us how to carry out judgment (discipline) toward a sinning brother. First, a discerning believer quietly speaks to the brother to help him realize his sin. If he does not turn away and continues in his sinful behavior, the next step is to admonish him with two or three witnesses. If there is still no change, the church ultimately addresses the matter and disciplines him, no longer regarding him as a fellow believer. This is the proper way for the church to discipline a person who has sinned.
The problem arises when, even after all these steps, the brother continues to live in sin. In such a case, continuing further becomes like throwing what is holy to dogs, as described in Matthew 7:6. At that point, the church must stop its admonitions and apply strong discipline, such as expulsion from the church.
The reason the church sometimes engages in such prolonged and futile efforts is that it has misapplied the command to love one another. Do not continue to invest time indiscriminately in admonishing someone with God’s holy Word when that person has no intention of repenting. That is not an act of love, but a futile act of giving what is holy to dogs. This is why Jesus taught about spiritual discernment in Matthew 7:6 immediately after His teaching on judgment in Matthew 7:1–5.
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2. An Explanation of Matthew 7:6
In the previous section, we discussed situations within the church where spiritual discernment is needed for judgment. From here on, we will share about the spiritual discernment needed for proclaiming the gospel outside the church.
2.1) The Holy Things and the Pearls
The holy things and the pearls are metaphors that represent the value of the gospel. They signify God’s Word, the gospel proclaimed by Christians, and the good news of the Kingdom of God.
In particular, “what is holy” refers to sacrificial offerings. The fellowship offering presented as a sacrifice was shared and eaten by the priest and the worshiper. No one among the people of Israel would ever throw a fellowship offering to dogs. If someone were to throw what is holy to dogs instead of consuming it properly, not only would the sacrifice become invalid, but it would also be an act of insulting God.
Pearls were extremely precious gems at that time. Because pearls are round and smooth, if held with one’s eyes closed, they might feel like small pebbles, making it possible to throw them to pigs. However, no one who knows that what they hold is a precious pearl would ever throw it to pigs. To pigs, pearls are worth less than a small lump of food. The pigs would think stones were being thrown at them, become angry, trample them underfoot, and attack.
2.2) The Dogs and the Pigs
Dogs and pigs are animals familiar to us, but Jews regarded them as unclean animals. These terms were often used to disparage Gentiles. In reality, Gentiles did not recognize the value of God’s Word and instead mocked the Word of God and the gospel.
In our present age, this metaphor can apply to people who cannot distinguish what is holy, are spiritually ignorant, and instead attack the gospel. Just as in Jesus’ time, many people today are filled with spiritual ignorance and prejudice. Because they place the highest priority on physical and immediate benefits, they ridicule and slander spiritual things that do not benefit them in the present moment. As a result, they become angry at those who bring them the gospel of eternal life.
2.3) “Lest They Turn and Tear You to Pieces”
When sharing the gospel or engaging in holy ministry, we may encounter people who are openly hostile. If we refuse to stop and continue to forcefully share the gospel, they will mock and attack the gospel and the messenger even more. In such situations, what we need most is spiritual discernment to know when to speak and when to stop.
Here are some difficulties that arose from sharing the gospel without discernment. A missionary group once went to a Buddhist temple in Thailand and sang hymns while preaching the gospel. Such actions not only dishonor our God but also place the evangelists themselves in dangerous situations. Because of their indiscriminate actions, existing missionaries in Thailand were misunderstood as members of a strange religion.
One of my friends is a pharmacist who is very passionate about evangelism. He is kind to customers and often engages in conversation with them. Among his customers was a woman who wore a hijab, and he frequently talked with her. Thinking that they had become close, one day he handed her medicine and shared that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. After that, my friend was sued by the Muslim woman. He was immediately fired from the pharmacy chain he worked for and had to endure a long and difficult time because of the incident.
I truly admired my friend’s passion and courage for the gospel, but in light of today’s message, he failed to discern his audience spiritually. He shared what was holy with someone who trampled it underfoot and turned to tear him apart.
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3. More Specifically, To What Kinds of People Should We Not Give What Is Holy and the Pearls?
3.1) People Like the Pharisees
These are people filled with self-righteousness and pride. Even Jesus did not teach them the words of truth, because they did not listen in order to receive, but listened in order to find fault and slander. Like dogs and pigs, they trampled on what was holy and the pearls, and tore apart those who shared them. Even within the church, there are people who use the joy of the grace we share as an excuse to slander us. We must be careful not to waste the precious grace we have received from God on such people.
3.2) People Like King Herod
Jesus did not respond to the questions Herod desired to ask. Herod was not interested in the truth, but in witnessing miracles and signs performed by Jesus. When Jesus did not respond, Herod mocked and ridiculed Him.
Even in today’s churches, there are people who chase after gift-centered meetings and mysterious experiences. They want to see people fall at a pastor’s gesture and watch silver teeth turn into gold teeth. However, they grow bored during the time when God’s Word is preached.
The pastor of my relative’s church preaches the Word in a truly biblical and gracious way. Yet my relative frequently goes to prayer retreat centers—not to pray for anything specific, but to attend gift-centered meetings whenever they are held, skipping church services to do so. He desires to see something exciting and spectacular rather than listen to the Word preached at church. This is just like Herod’s reason for wanting to meet Jesus. There is no need to waste the holy Word on people filled only with curiosity like Herod.
3.3) People Like the Jews Who Rejected and Opposed the Gospel
In Acts chapter 13, Paul stopped preaching to the Jews in Antioch who opposed and slandered him out of jealousy. If Paul had continued preaching in that situation, hostility toward both Paul and the gospel would have intensified. Forcing the gospel on those who reject and attack it only increases hostility.
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4. Conclusion
Today’s message has spoken about the spiritual discernment that is essential for believers.
First, spiritual discernment is needed within the church. It helps us judge whether we should continue to patiently wait in love for a sinning brother to repent, or whether we should apply strong discipline to set an example for the congregation. It is especially necessary to avoid wasting God’s holy grace on those who have no intention of turning away from sin.
Second, spiritual discernment is needed outside the church when we share God’s holy grace. It is essential for effective evangelism. Before sharing what is holy, we must not have prejudice that labels others as dogs or pigs. At the same time, we must not act without discernment, placing ourselves in danger or allowing the gospel to be trampled.
We should live as people who eagerly share the gospel, while continually asking the Holy Spirit for spiritual discernment. We must discern whether the soil of the heart is ready, whether it is time to offer the pearl, or whether it is time to remain silent. When we do so, our faith will become more effective, and God’s holy gospel will fully retain its value.
Let us pray.
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