Matthew 10:14 “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”
This verse has a personal application as everything in Scriptures.
We usually read it from its traditional perspective: “shake off the dust of your feet” was a Jewish expression of contempt by those shaking off the dust for those they are leaving. It means that you considered the people or place that you were leaving “Unclean”.”
However I suggest that we look at it from a slightly more “positive angle”. That of realizing when it’s time to leave people be in general.
I also suggest that we widen the meaning of “receive you or listen to your words,” from narrowly meaning “receive you as a Christian or listen to the Gospel” to a broader “receive you as a person or listen to your words of opinion”.
This is a message that says “don’t try to change people” and “know when you have out-stayed your welcome”.
Nothing can be more stressing on human relationships than speaking and not being heard. Although Christ in this passage is admonishing His Disciples to give an expression of contempt towards those who did not receive the Gospel He makes a very good point on the nature of human interactions: Don’t waste your time trying to change another’s opinion or force them to accept your opinion, because in the end all it will accomplish is strife and resentment. On both sides. You will resent people for not “listening and accepting” and people will resent you for what they see as “shoving your opinion down their throats”.
Once you have shared your opinion, your beliefs or whatever ONCE and have met with non-acceptance, don’t repeat your share. All you will get for your troubles is frustration and ill-will.
Another aspect of this is that of personal serenity and peace of mind. Constantly trying to change another’s mind or “leading them to Jesus” borders on obsession and robs you of your functional faculties. You might think that it brings you closer to God (in the case of Witnessing), but in reality it brings you further away from Him. Those inner channels that you have to connect with God will be blocked by the “idea of bringing this particular person to Christ” and instead of doing good you end up doing evil. To you and to the other.
So, when you are not received, not heard after having tried ONCE, shake that mental dust of your mental feet and move on.
Blessings,
Henry
