A Reflection for the Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Find today's readings here.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets (Mt 7:6, 12).
One of my favorite comic strips growing up takes its name from today’s Gospel reading from Matthew: “Pearls Before Swine.” The comic features Rat—cynical, arrogant, misanthropic—whose pearls of “wisdom” are often lost on naïve, insecure, good-natured Pig. In one strip, Rat is asked if he has a moral code for life. He responds by sharing his own spin on the Golden Rule, also featured in today’s reading. “Do unto others before they get wind of it and do it unto you.”
We humans want much more than to not be hurt, cheated or lied to. No, what we truly want is to be seen, to be known, to be loved.
On its face, the Golden Rule is pretty simple. There’s a reason a poster with those words can be found in nearly every elementary school classroom. But while most of us don’t go as far as Rat in distorting this moral code, we might be guilty of watering down what it demands. The version we learned in kindergarten tended to tell us what not to do. “You don’t want to be hit, so don’t hit Johnny.”
If that’s all Jesus requires of us, why does he warn in the very next verse that the gate to salvation is narrow, and “those who find it are few”? My guess is that it’s because we humans want much more than to not be hurt, cheated or lied to. No, what we truly want is to be seen, to be known, to be loved. Which means that is what we owe to others.
Most of us know what that love requires in the context of marriage, family and friendship. We know it requires sacrifice, forgiveness, being there when the other is not at their best and digging deep when you aren’t. And while the bonds of marriage and family are certainly unique, it turns out loving coworkers, people on Twitter, terrible drivers, public figures and yes, your enemies, can be just as demanding—without the obvious upsides of a marriage or friendship relationship.
So yes, the gate is narrow. Most days I am part of the crowd ambling down the wide road. Thankfully, Jesus has already sacrificed for us, forgiven us and loved us at our worst. That is the pearl of wisdom available to all who are willing to listen—and a path we can all choose to follow.
