Throwing Pearls in Front of Swine

In reading this morning from the Gospel according to Matthew about God and Possessions, Jesus teaches that it is impossible to be loyal to both God and possessions; that is, it is impossible to be loyal to both God and money.  Jesus says that if we are loyal to God we will despise money or if we are loyal to money, it is God we will despise.  Jesus continues by giving examples concerning food and drink and clothes, teaching that we should not be worried about these things almost exclusively and not believe at all that God sees that we need these things and will, in his generosity, give us what we need.  He gives us another example of how birds in the wild are provided with food and drink as well as a domicile through God’s providence.

As I read through these examples and others I couldn’t help but think about the people in the world today who are starving and are die dehydrated and have no place to stay and yet seemingly God does not make provision for them; but then reading a little bit further there is a teaching which I have always had difficulty in understanding and how it is possibly connected with his teachings. This teaching is: “Do not give what is holy to dogs – they will only turn and attack you.  Do not throw your pearls in front of pigs – they will only trample them under foot.”

Then a thought came to me.   When I have these thoughts of doubt about cases in which God seems not to care for people, could it be that my doubts about God are likened to those who actually doubt God’s involvement in human concerns, including human petitions of prayer to God and any trust in God’s power and willingness to provide for human needs? Such doubts make it impossible for such people to cooperate with God’s goodness and power.  Their very doubts are likened to those who have no belief in God, have no dependence on God’s bringing about anything good; what they perceive to be satisfaction of human needs will come about through their own efforts without God’s help.  In other words they are throwing pearls of God’s love and compassion and providing for others in front of swine who will simply trample on them.

This leads me to understand that the way God wants us to think about his providing things for us when we are in trouble and in need, is through a trust in God and our willingness to accept that God will provide those things over which we really may not have control; he wants to see that we have trust in him and love for him. He wants to see that we do not throw these pearls of God and his love and provision for our needs in the front of swine to be trampled; God asks us and greatly desires our love for him, our trust in him, and not anxiety about those things that he will provide for us; as long as we do not throw these promises and concerns and love of God for us in the path of swine.