Pearls

Matthew 7:6 ESV

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

During Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He throws the above scripture in. It follows right after His teaching on judgment. What does it mean to throw our pearls to the pigs? What are the pearls and who are the pigs?

Pearls

When I hear “your pearls”, it makes me think of something you cherish dearly, probably something personal and special to you. Take a moment to think about your pearls. What are the things you treasure in your faith the most? Is it your testimony? Your salvation? Your love for God? Your trust in Him? The vision and hope for the future? It’s what we hold dear to our hearts and cherish. If they were in a pearl form, we wouldn’t throw them to the ground, especially not in front of pigs who would trample them or think they were bits of corn to eat.

Pigs

You may think it sounds a bit harsh to think of people as pigs, but I didn’t come up with it so don’t shoot the messenger! I think it was necessary to use this metaphor when referring to people who will trample on your faith and throw it back in your face. It helps us to see what can actually happen when we throw out our pearls without being careful. I have been praying and researching how to tell when to share your pearls with someone and when not to. In Mark 16:15, it tells us we are to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole of creation. This includes everyone. Everyone deserves a chance to hear about the good things that come from salvation. The difference I see in this scripture is when people won’t receive what the gospel presents, there is no need to give them your pearls of faith as well. If they reject God, they are not going to hear about what you hold dear to your heart. In fact, they may trample on it, mock you, and use it against you. I think the following scriptures can help us determine who won’t receive our pearls well.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 6:21 ESV

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If we talk about our testimonies or our love for God with people who treasure things on this earth and who have a natural mind, they aren’t going to accept things of the Spirit. They may laugh at us, mock us, or simply not understand us. This may be hard if we aren’t expecting it, especially if we have entrusted someone to treat our pearl as we do and for it to change their world as it did ours.

Closing thoughts:

Knowing when to trust someone with your pearls may come with prayer and practice. If someone tramples on your pearls, I encourage you to pick them back up and shine them up again. Don’t let people who treasure things on this earth destroy your pearls of faith. One thing is for certain, we should never stop praying for them.

Romans 1:22 ESV

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,