Luke’s Good Measure: Luke 6:37-42

As we continue moving through our year looking at Jesus’ life, we come to an event where Jesus is preaching, and two of the gospel writers emphasize different parts of His message. It is as though Matthew, when writing his gospel, either intentionally summarized Jesus’ teaching at this point, or forgot the full message Jesus shared.

Looking at this possibility, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was either, since I doubt I could remember word-for-word a presentation from even the most dynamic speaker. However, since Luke went around interviewing eye-witnesses for his gospel, we discover that he found someone who remembered this portion of Jesus’ teaching and the full, nuanced message.

Before sharing the two passages, I want to also point out the possibility that Matthew’s gospel could be sharing a different sermon than Luke’s and that Jesus could have spoken two similar but distinctly different messages.

Without any further delay, let’s dive in to these two passages, and emphasize what is similar and what is different about the way each gospel writer frames Jesus’ message. First let’s look at Matthew’s gospel. This passage is found in Matthew, chapter 7, and we will be reading from the New International Version. Starting in verse 1, Jesus tells the crowd:

¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In the first two verses of this chapter, Matthew shares Jesus’ challenge to us for us to keep from judging others, because how we judge others will be the same way we are judged.

However, part of me wonders if Matthew intentionally summarized this teaching to conserve space or to emphasize Jesus’ call for us to avoid judging people. This question in my mind is because Luke shares more detail in his gospel when appearing to talk about the same big truth. Reading from Luke, chapter 6, starting in verse 37, we discover Jesus said:

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In these two verses that seem to describe the same truth in Luke’s gospel, we find the focus not on simply avoiding judging others, which is important, but also on giving, forgiving, and being generous. While Matthew focused on sharing the warning, and only the negative side of this truth, Luke includes both possible results from the effect of how we choose to live.

Luke’s gospel does not deny that if we judge others, we too will be judged, but he also says that is the same way with condemning others, forgiving others, and giving to others. Luke tells us Jesus promised that when we condemn others, we will be condemned, when we forgive others, we too will be forgiven, and when we give to others, we will have things given to us.

Both Matthew and Luke include the phrase, “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”, and I wonder how this relates with the idea of Luke’s “good measure”. This shared phrase seems to indicate complete equality and fairness. The standard God uses for us appears to be based on the standard we hold others to. However, all too often, I hear motivational speakers use Luke’s phrase about a good measure as being God’s blessing us more than we deserve, as opposed to equally as much.

Before continuing further down this train of thought, I want to pause and emphasize that I absolutely do believe that God has given us way more than we deserve. However, in the context of this passage and promise, I wonder if this idea is really not what Jesus is teaching in this set of verses, or really in either one of these two gospels.

If the whole point of this specific teaching is about not judging others, as Matthew directs us to think, then there is no need for there to be a “good measure”, since you either judge or you don’t, just like God either judges or He does not.

However, I wonder if Luke’s good measure has to do more with the nature of how we act more so than how God responds. If the measure we use will be measured back to us, then it would be to our benefit to be amazingly generous, giving freely to everyone, because that will be the measure we get in return. If we give “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over”, then this will be the type of measure that is poured into our lap.

It is like if you are baking with flour. If the recipe calls for a certain number of cups of flour, you probably don’t want there to be any bubbles or air pockets in the flour you are measuring. That’s why you might tap the cup on your counter to help the flour settle, you might shake it a little, and you might just give a little extra instead of leveling it off.

I suspect this is how God would want us to live, both when we give to others and when we forgive them too. We should not be looking for loopholes, or ways of short-changing our giving. Just as a recipe would suffer if you cheated flour out of it, your character suffers if you cheat generosity out of it.

Let’s take this idea a step further and apply it to our relationships.

When applying Jesus’ challenge about judging and measuring within our relationships, we can easily see that cheating or short-changing our spouse or our friends will eventually end the relationship. Sometimes the relationship will end quickly, but other times it will end only after a certain amount of time has passed. However, I will be quick to point out that this example is prolonged cheating and short-changing, with nothing redemptive about it. I firmly believe that people can grow and change and that redemption is possible when both individuals are seeking the same goal.

However, when we take Jesus’ challenge a step further, if we judge or condemn our friends or significant others, they won’t remain in our lives for very long in a similar way as if we were to cheat on them. It is just the nature of life that we don’t want to be around those who put us down. Another possible response that is equally as toxic is that the other person in the relationship chooses to return our judgment and condemnation back towards us. A relationship that degrades into judging, cheating, and belittling won’t last long.

However, the reverse is true. If we give and forgive freely in our relationships, the same generosity and good-will will be returned to us. If we assume the best, give multiple chances, and genuinely love those God has brought into our lives, the same attitude will be returned to us – perhaps not from everyone, but it will return from many and our relationships will be solidly positive.

Before ending our podcast episode, let’s take this idea one step further: The truth Jesus teaches can also be extended and applied to our relationship with God: If we judge, He judges; if we condemn, He condemns; if we forgive, He forgives; and if we give generously, He gives generously.

This ultimately brings us to the amazing, profound conclusion that the type of relationship we have with God is fully within our choosing.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally choose to seek God first and choose to have a great, generous relationship with Him.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn for yourself what God is really like. While pastors, authors, speakers, or even podcasters can share ideas with you, only through personal study can you grow personally closer to God and discover what He is like and just how much He loves and values you.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!