“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back” Luke 6:38.
Upon reading this scripture many will immediately relate it to money, God’s material blessing upon us. Which many believe we can buy by giving our money to Him. This verse tells us so, right? And it’s repeated Sunday after Sunday in pulpits everywhere. The preacher said it, so it must be right!
I confess, I have used it. I had heard other people use it in the context of money, so I unthinkingly kept using it in the context of money–as if this was the primary meaning from this scripture.
I was wrong. I had to repent.
Tithing and being generous with our finances is right and good but this verse is used out of context.
Read the context from the verse immediately before it: “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 the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:37-38).
Ahh, now we see the verse in context and it’s speaking about the attitude of our heart, not money.
So this verse reads: If you judge, you will be judged with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you use (in judgment against a brother) will be the measure you get back.
We can insert condemn, accuse, mock, slander, gossip, criticize, all these things will come right back on us in very good measure, pressed down upon us… and put into our lap, God will see to it.
But: If you forgive, you will be forgiven with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you use (in love and mercy with your brother) will be the measure you get back.
If I am kind and merciful, I’ll get it back. If I am loving and faithful, I’ll get that back too. God will put it right back into my lap. We “reap what we sow” (Galatians 6:7).
It begs the question then, Why is this verse so commonly used in pulpits with regard to money and almost never mentioned with regard to the attitude of our heart? Is God being mocked? Why are people being deceived?
