Pearls, Pigs & Jackpots

All Saints Valais wethers, Miles and Marcus, born on our farm here in Tennessee, really hit the jackpot at their new, beautiful homestead near Las Vegas, Nevada. Not only do these lucky lambs have an amazing, new shepherdess, a beautiful new farm, and a well appointed barn fit for such precious, white “pearls” — they also have many new friends! Granted, some look (and smell) a little (or a lot) different than them, but Marcus, who has always been a braveheart, is willing to risk getting to know this porky l’il fella. Miles, on the other hand, who is a bit shyer and more discerning, is cautiously assessing this portly pig. His rounded eye seems to say: Pearls before swine? Really?

It’s a challenging Biblical expression, one rooted in Matthew 6:7. Jesus has just cautioned his disciples not to judge others and to “remove the plank” from their own eye before calling attention to the speck in another’s. But then, he immediately follows up with the admonition not to “cast your pearls before swine.”  In other words: do not judge — but do discern wisely.  I think this photograph preaches both sides of the sermon. Marcus is meeting the pig where he is; Miles is discerning if this is the kind of company he should keep.

Isn’t that the way it ought to be when we, as Christians, venture out into the world? Wait, let me rephrase that: Isn’t that the way it ought to be when we’re sent out into the world? We never know who we’ll encounter in the course of our day: at the grocery store, at the gas pump, at Tractor Supply, at a social event, at the coffee shop or wherever it may be. More likely than not we’ll encounter people who look (or are) a little (or a lot) different than us, both on the inside and the outside.  Nevertheless, our task remains the same: not to judge them, but to meet them “where they are” and to view the interactions as daily opportunities to cast precious pearls — that is, the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus — if not in actual biblical words, then in deeds: a warm smile, a compliment, a blessing; perhaps a look that says, I see you. I value you as the handiwork of our loving God. It’s a Marcus-like, nonjudgmental, face-to-face encounter that courts fellowship and embraces differences.  

But what about when our overtures — particularly our efforts to share the Gospel in earnest — are met with hostility, indifference, or repeated rejection? I’ve had a couple encounters like that recently. Sometimes people judge at a glance and decide in advance that I’m simply not “their cuppa tea” — and neither is this Gospel message that I (we!) have been sent/commissioned by Jesus to share to all creation and to the ends of the earth. (Mark 16: 25-20, Matt. 28:19-20)

In that case, I’ve had to step back and discern what to do now, and what to do next. The choices of others will never be mine to judge. But I consider myself a child of the Most High, a pearl of great price in the eyes of God. And I believe with my whole heart that the Gospel is true down to the last letter of the Word, a treasure beyond human estimation and understanding. And so, with regret, I recognize that discernment sometimes requires that we part company; that I pick myself up, dust myself off, and continue on the Way, casting pearls (and my very self) as we are each called to do. Will they land as intended? Maybe. I hope so. Will people hear, believe, and turn their hearts to God? Ultimately, it’s up to the Holy Spirit. As for me, I’ve come to understand that “do not cast your pearls before swine” is sage advice meant for those who have been rejected as ambassadors of Christ and his promises. Having done our part, we do well to keep calm and evangelize on. There are other “villages” to visit. There are others who may have ears to hear. 

The truth is, we may never really know what comes of our efforts and encounters. But the ever-present hope is that one or more of those “hearers” just might hit the real jackpot: the personal salvation that comes from faith in Jesus Christ and his promise of eternal life for those who believe. 

 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

 ~John 11: 25-26