What did Jesus mean by "pearls before swine"?

This week we're reading Chapter 45, 'Casting Pearls', from 'Following the Call - Living the Sermon on the Mount Together' a collection of writings by more than a hundred writers who "call for the formation of a fellowship of disciples who will simply live as Jesus taught us to live." In this chapter, selections from Dallas Willard and Jacques Ellul. Every week we'll be reflecting on a new chapter. Get yourself a copy and read along with us. www.plough.com/en/topics/fait...
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[@md9680]

My wife and I are currently members of an evangelical church which highly values "evangelism" and promotes use of scripture verses leading to asking unbelievers to pray the "sinner's prayer" to be saved. We have never been completely comfortable with this approach to "spreading the Gospel" and resonate more with your approach of "not saying words which don't have the weight of action behind them". We are all sitting in our churches reading the same Bible, but are stuck trying to make Jesus's words fit into our -- go TO church for a couple of hours on Sunday, sing some songs, and take in a teaching about how we as INDIVIDUALS are to live out our Christian lives apart from each other for the rest of the week -- worship and ministry format. Something's wrong with our church models that keeps us from ever actually dealing with the "one anothering" that Jesus is looking for in the Sermon on the Mount. Bringing these issues up with others in the congregation is difficult, to say the least.

[@Bruderhof]

This is a very important observation. Thank you! Rich

[@edwardsolecki6036]

Something is seriously "wrong with our church model". Not only with 'dealing with the "one anothering", but also with dealing with "oneself". We can't love God or one another if we don't love ourselves first. And loving yourself means allowing yourself time for spiritual growth with "unpolluted milk" of God's word. "The sinners prayer" is like sowing the seed, but there is long way and effort required until any fruits can be seen. And every branch that doesn't produce fruits "will be thrown into the fire and burned." John 15.

[@edwardsolecki6036]

You are right Doreen; this is about "the limits of evangelism" that is alien to contemporary, 'oversimplified' - "saved by faith" Gospel. But when Holy Spirit is leading the evangelism, He is setting up the limits, as we can see in case of Paul when he "had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia" Act.16;6 Of course "this is not about looking at people like the dogs", but about being aware "who is who" and consequently what that person is able to understand and receive. We see some examples of it in the Gospels. Canaanite woman for example wasn't offended of being ignored as a pagan and called a dog by Jewish Rabbi, but her persistence and humility was rewarded and called "great faith" by Jesus himself Matt.15;22-28. So, the human-animal analogy was commonly understood in those days. In order to understand "what did Jesus mean by "pearls before swine" we need to understand what makes us "spiritually unclean" and consequently who is a "spiritual swine". Clean animal "chew the cud and have divided hoof" Lev.11. Spiritually it means discussing/analyzing the Scripture and "walking with Jesus". ( two imprints on the ground that divided hoof does). The pig is interesting specimen; "though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud" Lev.11.7 According to Peter they are Christians who started the "walk" but stopped "chewing the cud" - 20 "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” 2Ptr.2;20-22. But we don't talk about this in our "modern Christianity" we just preach the gospel...

[@Bruderhof]

This is interesting! Thanks.

[@thomasnabors8164]

Examples of this principle being practiced are in Acts 13:44-51; 18:5-6; 28:17-28. In each case, Paul tries to bring the Gospel to the Jews first and when they reject it, he turns to the Gentiles, shaking off the dust from his feet and moving on.

[@edwardsolecki6036]

"Hardening the heart" Act.28;27 doesn't not necessary make you a pig if I understood your intention correctly. Sin does, which is initiated by the lack of "chewing the cud" Lev.11.7 . Peter makes it very clear who the pigs and dogs are in 2Ptr.2;20-22. There is however another aspect of the "pigs" issue that is omitted here and that is "unauthorized preaching"Luk.6.39. Self appointed preachers who do not discern between 'disciple' and 'apostle'. Eph.4.11 "just preachin' the gospel" because "that's all that you need to be saved" apparently. Confusing "the Great Commission" (apostles) with readiness to answer WHEN ASKED 1Ptr.3;15 (disciple).

[@andrewdewitt7234]

Really found Willard's writing useful on this topic. Taking this idea further, a pearl is the only organically formed gem. It's made by an oyster forming a protective layer around a painful artefact. It's formed as a result of suffering. If we throw these things into the mud are we devaluing our own spiritual learnings in the hope that such an action will benefit others before they are ready to receive such knowledge? Just a thought.

[@Bruderhof]

Thank you! Great insight.

[@edwardsolecki6036]

Allow me to take this idea a bit further Andrew. Two aspects of the "pearls". First one have to be a skilled "merchant" to recognize the value of the "artifact" as in the parable; “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matt.13;45. Second, you can't share "your pearls" with anyone or everyone, because they may be (and usually are) on the "different phase of spiritual growth".

[@melfros7100]

As backdrop, it is worth noting that Jesus was and died a social activist Jew. Jesus interacted with people outside the bounds of traditional Judaism, skewed accepted customs and broke traditional norms. My take: Rich believes this passage is going to require thoughtful thinking. Doreen believes it’s about how we bring the gospel to others. We need to go back to the historical context so that we don’t waste what is not going to be appreciated. We need to remember that more than good intentions are needed. We need to give our listeners the linguistic and academic tools to make them receptive to the Jesus message. There are ”limits of evangelism”…We don’t want to compare people to pigs. Rich believes the best form of evangelism (testimony) is the life he and Doreen lead in community (I agree). Doreen believes the process of reaching out must start with looking at ourselves; we must change our own conduct before we can hope to help others change theirs. Thank you both for your thoughtful, heart-felt input. From a historical perspective not casting pearls before swine appears to be a direct reference to the need for individual and institutional cleansing. Based on Isaiah 6:9-10, the teaching appears to be aimed at the religious elite and the Temple Institution of Jesus’ day. Mark’s Jesus says. “To you (his friends) has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that 'they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven'” . One may ask, who are “those outside”? Are they, in historical context, unbelieving gentiles, or are they the blind within the religious system? This, I believe, is the crucial question. Is this a call to “evangelism” or is it a reminder to each keep our own house clean? Doreen gets it right: We must each must become the change we hope to see in others. Pearls-before-swine should not, first and foremost, be seen as a call to effective evangelism. Rather, it is a reminder for on-going, in-house cleansing; for me as for you. As Doreen says, we each must practice what we hope to preach; we must become the change we wish to see in others. The “good news” is that a religious body practicing transparency, humility and constraint stands a better chance of becoming a “light to the gentiles”. I am reminded of words from a wonderful Bruderhof Christmas song: “Make your house fair as you are able. Trim the hearth and set the table. People look east the time is near, of the crowning of the year.”

[@Miarchieve]

Are you guys able to feel presence of God by living the narrated life style wrriten in bible ? I have felt so long time that bible or God and my life is detached Even I can call God inward it's a voice in void So I thought it's a matter of lifestyle of something else