June 23, 2015 Tuesday
12th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Gen 13:2, 5-18
Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14
Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls to the pigs: they might trample on them and even turn on you and tear you to pieces. “So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many go that way. How narrow is the gate that leads to life and how rough the road; few there are who find it.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
“Dogs” and “swine” were Jewish terms of contempt for the Gentiles. (Non-Jews were collectively referred to as Gentiles). Gentiles were considered unclean simply because they did not belong to God’s chosen people. Surprisingly, Jesus appeared to engaged in Gentile branding when he said: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls to the pigs”. Was Jesus making reference to the Gentiles when he used the terms “dogs” and “swine”? Was he advocating exclusive preaching to the Jews because only the Jews deserved to hear his holy teachings?
To solve this problem we must study today’s Gospel reading side by side with the command to preach to the whole world. Jesus said “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mk 16:15). The intention to discriminate non-Jews is obviously not within the contemplation of this Gospel passage. Taken in this context, dogs and swine wouldn’t refer anymore just to any Gentile but to the obstinate and the stone-hearted. There is no preacher, no matter how eloquent, that can penetrate hearts of stone. Preaching to him is like throwing holy things to dogs and swine.
Today’s Gospel also carries what came to be known since the 18th century as the Golden rule. This rule was already found in both pagan and Jewish sources, either positively or negatively stated. Stated positively the rule is: “Do unto others as you would others do unto you”. Stated negatively the rule is: “Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you”. Luke 6:31, states it positively: “So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets.” By stating it positively Luke is saying that discipleship is not a passive state of life but an active one.
That discipleship is active rather than passive speaks of the importance of freedom in spirituality. Discipleship without freedom is throwing precious pearls to dogs and swine. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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