Pearls and Swine

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

A quick reading of this verse does not reveal the depth of its meaning. A study of the “Sermon on the Mount” can reveal a Jesus who is often surprising and dare I say it but a bit confusing. The same man who is so often quoted as saying “Do not judge,” “Pray for your enemies,” and “deny yourself” is found here telling us that some people are dogs or swine, that some efforts will eventually destroy what we hope to accomplish.

The swine or pig is an unclean animal in all aspects of the Jewish culture. They were not allowed to eat such a filthy animal. Is Jesus comparing some people or pursuits to swine?

I believe there are several aspects to this verse. The first thing is what is our “pearls.” I think it would have to be the very best we have. This could mean our time, our energy, our love, our attention. Whatever our pearl is it is surely precious to us. I believe Jesus is commanding us to be a good steward of this treasure.

I believe this verse is also showing us that some things are not worth the effort we give them. We are throwing our pearls into something, be that a person, a hobby, a lifestyle, a way of thinking, which is only going to turn and trample us. This trampling will undoubtedly leave us dejected and depressed.

How does this verse become incorporated into our lives? First I believe we need to know what our pearl is. We must take an accounting of our lives and determine what God has gifted us with. What do we owe our fellow humans and the kingdom, (I say this because in all reality we can not give God anything He does not already have.) Secondly we must determine if we are giving these “pearls” to worthy causes. Are the causes going to turn on us and trample all we have done and put effort into. I know this goes against some of the well ingrained practices but we may need to judge some of the people we interact with. Are they going to use the efforts you are putting into them for growth? Are your daily actives building up your life and relationships or are we pouring our efforts and pearls into meaningless pursuits?

I have not always been good at this. I confess I have “thrown my pearls” before some swine. And the words of Jesus have always rang true, they do turn and trample you.

It would not be in the spirit of the “Sermon on the Mount” if we did not turn this verse around on ourselves. By this I mean, are we being swine to someone else? Is someone throwing their pearls before us, only to watch them get trampled and abused. I know there have been a great number of people who have given me their best and I need to make sure I am not trampling their efforts. I need to be attentive enough to know when someone is throwing their “pearls” before me and what am I doing with them.

Pondering the Past

Isaiah 43:18-19 "Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past. "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

These are a couple of verses I have committed to memory several years ago. The reason I am bringing it up now I am having trouble actually doing it. The past few weeks, after finishing the MCAT and being held up with moving (our builder is not on the same page as we are) my mind has wondered back several years. It has went back to my years in Texas.

I guess I should start out telling about those years. I went off to Texas to attend seminary. I really felt it was God’s will and I was doing the right thing. I have to say those were the worst years of my life. It seems like nothing worked out and everything ended up working against me. I have to say as a result of being there my faith was more than just tested, it was almost destroyed. It is sad to say that considering I was engulfed with Christian study and surrounded by Christians. But alas this is what happened.

I have racked my mind and heart trying to find the good in those years. The one thing which stand out as being “good” were the friends I made. These people I consider “real friends.” They were there for me and will always have a positive impact on who I am. I am proud to consider Kevin, Michael, Courtney, Ben, Cheryl, Roxanne, Bill, and the Rondons friends. As a result of being in Texas I did get the opportunity to go on several mission trips, which are also fond memories.

I am also so very glad I left when I did. There are things I would not have missed in Tennessee for the world. The most important of which are meeting and marrying the greatest woman ever!!!. She really is amazing, her faith far exceeds mine, she is often the kick in the pants I need. I am truly amazed every time I see her that God made her for me. Also of importance is spending time with my family. If I had missed those years with my dad I would never have forgiven myself. There are a million more things I have gotten to do since being home that I would never have done otherwise, like working at HGBC, finding my calling to (hopefully) get into medical school, etc.

I must admit things have turned out much better here than I would have ever imagined or dreamed. But I am still left with this strange feeling that those three and half years of my life (other than the friends mentioned above) were a colossal waste of time.

I do not know why all of these memories are coming up now, maybe God is going to bring some closure to all this or maybe it is just a phase but I thought I would share.