Pearls

Day 30

Pearls

 

Sometimes I wish Jesus’ words were easier, tidier, less politically incorrect. But that would make them cheap. And drained of all their truth.

‘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 turn and tear you to pieces.’

Matthew 7:7

The first thing to notice is…there is treasure. There are things that are sacred. There is a pearl of great price. Jesus’ first listeners would have understood this deeply. Jewish people viewed God’s word as a treasure to be deeply valued and cherished. They knew what treasure looked Like. They understood the sacred.

Jesus will develop this more deeply further on in the gospel of Matthew when He tells parables about the Kingdom of God being like a treasure and a pearl of great price. He will help them understand that It’s not just God’s law that is the treasure… but the living of it… the Living in the present Kingdom of God, seeking it first, selling everything to get hold of it. That is the true treasure! The treasure Jesus has been revealing all along on this breezy mountainside.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“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.”

Matthew 13:44-46

But here, it is not simply the treasure Jesus is talking about, but dogs and pigs! And directly after instructing us not to judge others!

If Jesus here on this mountainside was with one breath commanding “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” and then with the next breath calling people dogs and swine, we might be forgiven for wondering if He truly meant what He said in His first statement.

But here is the important point: There’s a difference between judging a person and being discerning about where they are currently at. Judging is summative, a statement that labels in such a way as to ignore any depth or complexity in the person being labeled. Judging and labelling reveals a heart that has no interest in the possible future growth of a person. It’s about distance and control. Discernment rather is a form of deep listening, seeing and attending, and usually takes more time than labelling does. Helping others grow requires discernment. Wisdom takes discernment.

In challenging people against judging others, Jesus never tells them to stop being discerning, rather, don’t be quick to write people off.

So when He comes to this statement about dogs and pigs, this is not a statement of judgement so much as a call to be discerning. Jesus’ is fulfilling the covenant law of His people and declaring the breaking in of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This was always going to ruffle feathers and rattle cages.

‘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 turn and tear you to pieces.’

Matthew 7:7

Jesus is saying, ‘be discerning about who you have discussions about this Kingdom I am revealing to you. Not everyone is going to be ready for it or happy that it is advancing. Some will even be violently opposed.’

The word ‘dog’ was used in a derogatory way of Gentiles (non-jews) and pigs were only eaten by non-jews. It is possible that this reference meant not just people who did not value the sacred, but also those who had no understanding or experience of it, and were likely to persecute you if you attempted to explain it.

But dogs and pigs aside, this is the thing to lay hold of…there are things that are sacred. There is treasure. There is a pearl of great price. Jesus’ first listeners understood this deeply. Jewish people viewed God’s word as a treasure to be deeply valued and cherished. They knew what treasure looked Like. They understood the sacred.

The question for us is, do we? When going to church and owning a Bible costs us nothing personally, when there is no persecution, do we lose a level of comprehension of the preciousness of our faith? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ called this ‘cheap grace’…

“Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. What would grace be if it were not cheap?…

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

How easy it is to forget the value of this Kingdom we are invited into, and in so doing, effectively become the ‘dogs’ and ‘swine’ Jesus refers to… those who do not treasure the sacred life of this Kingdom; this Kingdom that we are called to seek first and sell everything to gain; this kingdom that we are called to deeply cherish and value like a pearl of great price.

This Kingdom that is sacred, like treasure discovered on the mountainside.

 

Journaling the Journey

Jewish people viewed God’s word is a treasure to be valued and cherished.

What relationships do you have where you have rich fellowship around God’s word?  What relationships do you have where God’s word is not valued, listened to or taken seriously?

What is your relationship to this treasure? If a measure of what we value is the amount of time we give to it, how would you say you value God’s word?

 This mountainside photograph was taken near Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands, UK.