On Pearls & Pigs...

Hi friends,

We've probably all heard the phrase 'don't throw your pearls before swine' as this is one of the phrases from the Bible that has made its way into common speech. But have we really thought about what Jesus meant when he said this in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount? When you read the context, it seems a bit of a random comment in the middle of other longer pieces of teaching about taking the log out of our own eye, and asking, seeking and knocking in prayer. So what does this piece of wisdom from Jesus mean for us?

I think the key is in identifying what the 'pearls' are here. Pearls are things of great value that are not easily reproduced, so are treated as treasures. I was thinking about what might correspond to that in our lives today. I don't own any pearls, but there are things in my life of great value because they are not able to be reproduced or manufactured. One of these precious commodities is my time. We each get 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week - no more, no less. And there is no guarantee that we will have tomorrow's 24 hours. That makes time one of my most valuable commodities. The question then must be asked: what am I giving my time to? Am I recognising it as the precious treasure it is and therefore only spending it on things of value, or am I throwing it to the 'pigs' of life. 

It's not that pigs are of less value than other animals, but in the Jewish world that Jesus was speaking to, pigs were considered highly unclean. Pigs have no discernment when it comes to pearls - they don't know that these little round gems are precious. So they trample them. What might be the 'pigs' of our lives today? What is it that doesn't see the value in the pearls of our hours and days and because of this, tramples them? I know for me, one of the most insidious and demanding 'pigs' comes in the form of a screen - whether my phone (social media, internet surfing, etc) or tv (on-demand shows and binge watching). When I was creating this page I was reminded that this wisdom from Jesus applies to my life here and now in the use of my time. Am I reserving the pearls of my hours and days for the things that matter, or am I throwing them indiscriminately to the pigs and getting them trampled? That's a challenge to me - I wonder what the pearls and pigs are in your life?

I used the new Down on the Farm set for the pigs on this page, painting the background with acrylic paints and adding some 'pearls' using the Delightfully Delicate stencil and Nuvo mousse. The text was stamped with a combination of All of Me Alpha, Loop da Loop Alpha, Sweet & Simple Alpha, and Love ya Like a Sister Alpha. I added a butterfly from Made New, white embossed on vellum, to finish.

Be blessed...

x Amy x