Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
12 “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. 14 How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
Jesus gives three closely related teachings about wisdom, charity, and the way that leads to life. He teaches his disciples to treat holy things with reverence, to do good to others, and to enter by the narrow gate.
The first saying uses strong images. In Jesus’ time, dogs and swine were considered unclean animals and could be used as insulting terms. Jesus speaks of “what is holy” and “pearls,” images of something precious. The point is that sacred things must be treated with reverence and shared with discernment. The Gospel is meant for all nations, as the risen Christ will later command in Matthew 28:19. At the same time, Jesus teaches his disciples to use judgment when a person is hardened against correction or hostile to what is sacred. Charity includes patience, but it also includes wisdom.
Jesus then gives the rule often called the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (v. 12). He states it positively. He does not merely tell his disciples to avoid harming others. He tells them to take the initiative in doing good. This requires us to think honestly about what we rightly desire from others: fairness, mercy, patience, respect, and understanding. Then we are to offer those same things to them.
Jesus says, “This is the law and the prophets” (v. 12). That means this command expresses the heart of God’s moral teaching in Scripture. The commandments are fulfilled in love of God and love of neighbor. The Golden Rule gives a plain daily standard for that love. It can be practiced in ordinary family life, in speech, in work, in disagreement, and in the way we treat people who cannot repay us.
Jesus then calls his disciples to enter through the narrow gate (v. 13). He presents two ways: one road is broad and leads to destruction; the other is narrow and leads to life. This image has roots in the Old Testament, where God sets before his people the way of life and the way of death. Moses told Israel, “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Psalm 1 also contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked.
The narrow gate is the way of Christ. It is narrow because it requires conversion, obedience, mercy, self-control, and faithful love. It asks us to choose what is true and good even when an easier path is available. Jesus’ words are a warning, but they are also an invitation. The way may be demanding, but it leads to life.
We are to guard what is holy, treat others as we would rightly want to be treated, and choose the road that follows Christ. The disciple’s path is not measured by ease, popularity, or outward appearance. It is measured by fidelity to the Lord who leads us to life.
Lord Jesus, teach me to honor what is holy, to do good to others, and to walk the narrow road that leads to life. Give me wisdom, charity, and perseverance each day. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 7:6, 12-14 and notes on Matthew 7:6, 7:12, and 7:13.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 19, notes on Matthew 7:6, 7:12, and 7:13-14.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Pages 69-70, notes on Matthew 7:6, 7:12, and 7:13-27.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Page 646, paragraphs 46-48.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, Richard J. Clifford, Carol J. Dempsey, Eileen M. Schuller, Thomas D. Stegman, and Ronald D. Witherup, eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Pages 923-924.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022. Page 1186
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