Articles
Your Standard of Measure
Reading: Luke 6:27-49
In the middle of preaching his sermon about conduct in the kingdom of God, Jesus says that “Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). What are we measuring, exactly? Consider the topics of this sermon: judgment and condemnation. Generosity and good deeds. Revenge and retribution. Forgiveness. Love. In each of these arenas, we meter out our thoughts, words, and actions—whether we think about it or not.
The Lord tells us “As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). Perhaps we are being stingy with compassion while dumping heaps of judgment. Should we be surprised when the same ratio of things is shown to us? On the other hand, when we dial back things like our self-seeking revenge and jam-pack as much service and care into our everyday interactions as we can fit, those positive behaviors promote more of the same.
So, what measure are you using? There is the measure of the world, which says I’ll be good to you if you are good to me (Luke 6:32-34). That’s easy. But then there is the measure of God, which loves without condition on reciprocity, and it shows mercy even when my human tendencies say, “That person doesn’t deserve it.” We are called to be children like our heavenly Father (Luke 6:35-36) and students working towards the likeness of our Teacher (Luke 6:40). We must decide each day, each moment, to use the measure we want others—and God Almighty—to use towards us.
