Measure For Measure
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. 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 6:37-38 ESV)
A man was framing in a new wall in his basement and was pleased that his DIY project would not only be much cheaper than paying a contractor to do it, but it would be faster, too. And he was in a hurry. He had calculated how many 2x4s he needed to do the job and was putting the last one in place…but it didn’t fit. Shaking his head in disbelief he told his wife, “I can’t understand it—I cut it twice and it’s still too short!”
The man’s problem was that he didn’t measure correctly. He was in such a hurry to get the job done that he misread the tape measure. As you might expect, the 2×4 did not fit—mistake number one. But what made matters worse (and, in this case, more humorous) is that the man made an impulsive judgment and cut a too-short piece of wood even shorter—mistake number two.
Many of us can identify with this kind of humorous anecdote because we’ve done something similar at least once in our past. Of course, it is to be hoped that we have also learned from our mistakes in this regard and remember that it is important to measure correctly. Thus the wisdom of the time honored adage, “Measure twice, cut once.” Which is to say, use the correct measure and use the measure correctly.
In Luke 6:37-38, Jesus elaborates briefly on The Golden Rule (which we could just as easily call The Golden Measure)—“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12 ESV). Jesus, in the passage from Luke, is describing a much more serious kind of measuring being measured out daily to each of us and from each of us—spiritual measures, emotional measures, sometimes even physical measures. Daily activities may vary from person to person, but we all are confronted on a fairly regular basis with situations that demand a measure from us. Jesus makes it clear that whatever measure we use toward God and others will be measured back to us.
We all have ample opportunities every day to measure out judgment or mercy, condemnation or forgiveness, joy or bitterness. We are also confronted with choices such as measuring out encouragement or discouragement, empathy or indifference, peace or contentiousness, and so on.
Often we are called upon to measure out restraint in ways we might not normally think important—such as taking the spotlight off ourselves long enough to allow someone else to share a story or a prayer need. What about the small child having a hard day in a public setting, and the young parents who are attempting to address what they know to be a complex of issues that have produced the child’s behavior? What are you measuring to the person struggling to express an area of need? What are you measuring out to this child? To these parents?
In striving to obey Jesus in the area of measure for measure, the guiding question for each of us is not, “How much can I get away with? or even, “What kind of measure do I want to receive?” Both questions are self-serving—it’s all about me and what I want. If we are going to obey Jesus’ teaching in this regard we need to get the spotlight off ‘self’ and on to God. The guiding question we should be asking is, “What is God asking me to measure out to this person, at this time, in this particular situation? And this introduces an entirely new aspect to relationships—redemptively extending grace and mercy with no thought for what I get out of the encounter. Now we are using the correct rule and standard of measure. And a lasting fruit of this practice is that we demonstrate to ourselves and to others the truth that we cannot out-give God.
It may be helpful at this point to acknowledge that, while this may seem like an easy question to pose, it is one of the more difficult questions to apply to life situations. I do understand that! For example, I know people who think nothing of commenting on one or another aspect of my life—not hesitating to make comments to me that they would never tolerate for a moment someone saying to them. (Do I like it? No! But I am learning—situation by situation—to see these measures in the light of God’s standard of measure.) You probably can think of similar situations in your own life and relationships—situations which provide a convenient platform for a wide variety of self-serving comments.
At such times, it is easy to justify our reactions. Yet these are the very times Jesus is referring to in the passages from Luke 6 and Matthew 7 quoted above. It is easy to forgive when we don’t feel offended. It is easy not to judge when we have no personal stake in a given situation. It is easy to be generous when there is no personal cost to us.
But the life of a disciple has never been an easy calling—it requires denial of self: self-interests; self-preservation; self-promotion; and, self-justification. It is hard to be a cheerful giver (freely giving a good measure) when we have been unfairly treated, when we have received a hurtful measure. But these are the very experiences that provide opportunities to give a good measure.
One of life’s more difficult lessons comes when we are under this type of emotional pressure. When we have been hurt or insulted or feel put upon in some way, it is natural to react. But Jesus calls us to a higher standard—that of responding. Reacting is natural and requires no learning period—it is almost an involuntary action—while learning to respond is super-natural (in the sense that it is the grace of God being poured out to us that allows us to rise above the heat of the moment and graciously give a good measure). Responding takes self-control, a fruit of the Spirit which best matures under the pressure of daily living in a world where things go wrong, people disappoint us, grief assaults us, thoughtless words are spoken…and where needs are seen as opportunities to measure out kindness, understanding, comfort, and encouraging words (Proverbs 25:11).
God’s mercies toward us are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We have countless opportunities every day to measure back grace for a grace-less act or kindness for hurtful comments. When we receive a measure, we have a great opening for changing the standard of measure for the other person, teaching mercy and forgiveness not by rebuking or lecturing, but by being merciful and forgiving. It is important for us to learn to respond with a good measure in less-than-favorable circumstances. Yet it is even more desirable to go beyond responding to taking the offensive in relationships by sowing good measures in the fields where you labor ahead of time. This has the positive effect of developing spiritual awareness in us while demonstrating God’s love and concern to others around us.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV)
When we understand the things freely given us by God, our understanding must be demonstrated through the way we live our lives. We are to understand that we forgive because we have been forgiven, not because we deserved God’s forgiveness. We are to understand that we extend mercy because we have received mercy, not because we deserved God’s mercy. We are to understand that we must not condemn others, because we who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ have passed from death to life—our own condemnation has been set aside because the Son of God took our place as our sin-bearer (Romans 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Finally, we are to understand that God is graciously involved in our daily measures. We cannot consistently measure out love, forgiveness, or mercy in our words and actions apart from the grace of God. But God has given us His Spirit that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Are we measuring out to others what we want measured back to us? With God’s help we can answer in the affirmative.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10 ESV)
Soli Deo Gloria!