Gold Standard of Measuring… Giving and Receiving!

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

That’s what I’m saying! Give me some of this!

For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Oops…

MY standard of measure? Really?! When it comes to giving I usually like the smaller measuring devices. Like 1/10. Now getting… clearly I will choose a MUCH BIGGER bucket and then be “lap ready” for the overflow.

We would like to believe and some actually teach that we can give little while getting a lap full and overflowing benefits from Jesus – because He just can’t not give us all that we desire – He loves us so much!

 Yes He does!!! 

Jesus spoke these words of giving/receiving, after teaching about  “The Blessings – we call them the beatitudes. If you take His sermon out of context, one might get the idea that these are are a recipe for getting.

The CONTEXT of the whole sermon was the throng of people (not your hometown crowd) and the reasons/needs they were there for.

Luke 6:17-19 Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all. 

Let me say it one more time… And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.

Jesus does indeed have the power and compassion and will to heal everyone who comes close enough to touch Him. Those who come close enough to allow Him to touch them.

Luke 6:20-26 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. 

Blessed are those who gave themselves over to Jesus to be touched by His power, because they knew they had none of their own.

But “Woe” to those who only need a little of Him for this moment in time.

Luke 6:27-37 “But I say to you who hear”… do it My Way… let Me work My standard of measure into you.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2)He loves us so much He will never let us remain unchanged.

The Gold Standard of measuring is God’s Standard, NOT OURS.

Isaiah 55:8-11 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. I/We should never use our standard of measuring without Immanuel/God”s Standard in us! “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

IF the standard of measuring is the deciding factor in giving and receiving, then WHOSE standard would a wise and needy person choose?

One that depends on calculating the greatest profit in exchange for the least investment? One which has absolutely no guarantee of long-term fulfillment.

Or God’s Standard… John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

For God so loved the world… For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17) 

Now this is pressed down, shaken together, and running over! 

John 1:11-13 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Not to be measured by giving 1/10 or even a full cup, but by giving ALL OF ME in order to RECEIVE ALL OF HIM! Then (and only then) I gain THE Gold Standard of Measuring!

Now when measuring out what I have to give, there is no need to give from my paltry offerings, I am able to give from Jesus in me.

When we do, it is guaranteed, EVERYONE (whether they know it or not) will receive a lap full of Jesus… poured out, poured into, pressed down, shaken together, and running over

Doesn’t get any better than that!!!!!! There is no standard more GOLDEN than this!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.