Understanding the context behind “Casting Pearls Before Swine” is discerning who is, and isn’t, ready to learn. There’s an element of those who are “willfully blind” that comes into play. The Bible has good instructions concerning what to do.
Casting Pearls Before Swine
Matthew 7:6 deserves a bit of exhortation. Understanding the context of that is important. Jesus is delivering his infamous Sermon on the Mount when he said this.
Understanding the context in which he said it is key. Jesus explains to the people not to judge others.
However, in the next few verses, Jesus balances out the previous statement.
Jesus instructs them to “discern”. A person is either going to receive the good news or they will mock it.
He instructs them to use wisdom. Not waste precious time trying to reach people who don’t want to hear it.
Moving on after Rejection
Jesus also instructs the people how to deal with rejection.
Matthew 10:14 says “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, Shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town”
In other words, you have to know when it’s time to walk away. You have to use your knowledge of the person or people.
Knowing what to do with your knowledge is wisdom. Which brings us to the point of letting go and letting “people learning for themselves”
Realizing your Role
Too many times I have sat trying to speak the truth, in love, to someone who is ready to learn. I am giving them the information they are seeking. They just aren’t hearing it from me, for whatever reason.
Could be that I’m a family member, and they could never respect me enough (in their current mindset). They may not see me as someone who could be capable of teaching them. Therefore their ears automatically close.
However, the second that someone else tells them the exact same thing, they will have their epiphany! They’ll run back to me and tell me what they’ve learned!
I sit there shaking my head like “Yeah, I literally said the same thing verbatim.” but they didn’t hear me, because they couldn’t overcome whatever it is they think/feel/judge about me.
It boils down to this: It wasn’t my place, time or role. It’s God’s message and it’s God’s place and time. He sent his exact same message through two or more witnesses.
Sometimes, It just isn’t your role or your place. Perhaps you would have taken some of God’s glory, had you been the one to get through? God allows us to be rejected sometimes because he sees and judges our hearts. He may have seen a boastful intent there. Allowing us to be rejected could also be his way of protecting us from becoming prideful.
God can use anyone
The Bible says, “God will use the fools to confound the wise and the weak to confound the strong“, in 1 Corinthians 1:27
“Out of the mouth of babes” in Psalm 8:2 is another example of the idea that God can use someone the world may not deem authoritative enough on a subject, to teach or speak the truth.
Recognizing when you’ve hit the wall
There is a willful stubbornness among so many. It can be difficult to give them information, because they’re just not going to hear it from you.
When I find myself in this position, I have to humble myself. I ask God to send the person that they will hear from. Knowing that He will send another witness.
I also have to ask for grace. The grace to overcome the desire to want to keep trying to speak truth to them.
I pray and ask that God will grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change! The courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
The seed planter, the waterer and the harvester
I realize that my role may only be as a “seed planter”. That is when I pray for the “waterer” to come along. Sometimes, it’s time for me to move on and pray for God to send the next witness.
Eventually the “waterer” will also have to move on to make way for the “harvester” to come along.
What a beautiful day that is, to see the Harvest. Also known as a “red-pill moment” or the “moment the penny drops”.
Sometimes, you get the honor to be brought back into the person’s life and be there to witness the moment. Even more rare, you get to come back around and be the “harvester”
Witnessing God at work
It has happened a couple times in my life.
I was there the moment my Dad woke up. God allowed me to be a “seed planter” and a “harvester”.
I wasn’t the “waterer” though and I had a hard time stepping away and “abdicating” that role. God granted me peace about letting go. He reminded me that at one time, I was also a bare soil with only a seed planted. God made sure I was taken care of.
If God could take care of stubborn ole me, then surely He is more than capable of taking care of my Dad.
I found in my experience, that even though we play these roles in people’s lives, only God can give life and make the seed grow.
Parable of the Sower
The “soil” is an important take away as well. In life we will encounter people with different mindsets, in different conditions. “The Parable of the Sower” In Matthew 13, explains the condition of these different types of soil aka “mindset”.
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