Pearls and Pigs
The day before yesterday we reflected on Jesus' warning that we should not become the judge on the bench... Today, to some degree, we move in the opposite direction... While we must not be judgmental of others, we must also not be unwise about the company we keep...(This is a major theme in the book of Proverbs)
Sadly there are toxic, judgemental, callous, cruel and harmful people in the world. Jesus warns us not to give them our pearls...
There is no judgement here, He's not condemning them. While using the labels "dogs" and "pigs" may sound insulting and demeaning, it could be argued that Jesus is actually simply depersonalising them. This is not "Simon" or "Nancy" (or any other name) but just someone behaving in a way that humans shouldn't behave.
And what is Jesus advice? Don't give them your treasures.
We're not asked to judge them, fix them or punish them but to be circumspect - we mustn't hand over our valuables (our trust, our loyalty, our heartache, our pain, our vulnerability) to them. In other words, don't put yourself in a position where you can be abused.
We can be kind, we can be gracious, but we must not be abused.
This becomes tricky when we try to come alongside needy people.
Sometimes our care (our spiritual, emotional, material or financial pearls) can be abused...
Sometimes this is because people just don't know better or because they have suffered terribly and, with time and love, their hearts can change. But sometimes they just won't. Then we need to take our "pearls" or "seed" to a space where it won't be trampled.
In short, Jesus is alerting us to the fact that human beings can become so toxic that they are purely destructive, and we should not invest ourselves in such people.
| "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew7:6) |
