‘the measure you give…’

February 23, 2025

Scriptures: Genesis 45:3-11, 15,1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50, Luke 6:27-38

I would submit, that our whole gospel reading today is about what I would term, ‘contrast community’, an idea or concept that speaks to a ‘difference’, that is supposed to have been planted in our DNA as followers of Jesus. For most assuredly, he and his followers were noticeably different than those around them, some of whom were supportive, and others who were definitely not.

And the overriding affirmation or rallying cry of that difference our reading speaks to has to be, ‘the measure we give, will be the measure we get back’. In these days we must stand out, stand in contrast, as those who are calling for all that Jesus taught…for kindness, compassion, understanding, and the freedom to truly love one another…for indeed we are called apart…‘called to be in this world, but not fully of it’…

As a consequence of our faith, we are called to look, sound, and be different from the rest of what is seen as ‘normal, functioning’ society…(although I am sure many would say that what we are living through currently, is anything but normal or ordinary!). Yet still, we are called to stand out, to stand visibly different from others.

Now the only problem with that idea, is that every single thing Jesus asks of his listeners in our reading, seems to fly in the face of common-sense and understanding. Understandings and ways of living that we have developed over multiple millennia in seeking to survive within a hostile environment. In other words, any call to be ‘different’ and to try and live in that way flies in the face of our instincts. In fact, it can be argued that these very survival behaviors and automatic reactions have over time become ‘hard-wired’ into us as a species…fight or flight reflexes are deeply imprinted into the genetic code of much of Creation.

And yet in our reading, Jesus seems to be saying that there is a new and ongoing revelation of God, a new way of understanding who God is, and what it is that God expects from each one of us. A revelation which puts forth a quite different understanding of the nature of God than we may be used to…and one which I imagine was vastly different from the understanding of his own day.

Jesus speaks of a God of love who asks followers to be vulnerable in the face of danger, as well as to give and to serve beyond one’s means to do so. And in doing so, he seeks to assure followers that a ‘full measure’ of blessings will be given to those who are truly faithful. A promise which can be difficult to believe, so stressful are the circumstances of the life we live. I imagine that there are very few among us who truly believe that a life of deep, perhaps even dangerous vulnerability before others, is any guarantee of abundant blessing.

And when challenged by this passage or others like it, I am sure that some may feel the need to dig deep into their bible verse memory bank and pull out the time-worn verse warning us not to ‘throw our pearls before swine’. Warning us not to allow ourselves to be taken advantage of or stepped upon. However, I hope to show you that this verse, along with a host of other verses that are often brought into play in attempts to justify our current ways of interacting with others, simply do not rise to a level that is capable of dismissing this bold challenge given by Jesus.

The call from Jesus is very straightforward – walk in his footsteps, in all the ways he demonstrates…and you will be blessed, walk in his footsteps, in all the ways he demonstrates…and you will be blessed. Trust in God to protect and guide your life and seek to fulfill the particular role for which you were created…the role that is specific to your life-story, your gifts, and the talents you’ve been blessed with.

But one may ask, surely Jesus did not mean for us to stand in a place of such deep vulnerability without even the protection of common sense? Which is a good question, for it would seem that at least some measure of self-concern and self-care ought to be to be practiced, if only to allow us to stay healthy and available for future service to the Lord. And, though it is a good question, it does seem from our passage that there may in fact be times, even frequently, when following in the footsteps of Jesus may ask that, at least temporarily, we throw all caution to the wind. Times when ‘seeking first the Kingdom of God’ may not include reliance on thought or reason over or above obedience and faithfulness. I do not believe however, that this means that gifts of wisdom or discernment must be abandoned all of the time.

Rather, I think that the call to give oneself over into the care of the Lord in times such as those we are living through, simply requires that we be all that we are…fully informed, fully aware, fully cautious, fully prepared, and perhaps most importantly fully convinced that the Holy Spirit is watching over us and guiding us through terrain both smooth, as well as occasionally littered with jagged rocks.

But aside from the promise of the Spirit’s presence and guidance, it is also important to remember that Jesus is asking something that may be enormously difficult to do. I believe that we need to read the scriptures within the full framework of the story of our God and of humanity as first created. In other words, we may need to seek a broader view of what we are all here for in the first place.

If one believes solely in a ‘prime-mover God’ who started everything and then took off…or, if one believes in a ‘vengeful warrior God’ who is interested in the wellbeing of just a few very fortunate souls…or, even if one does not believe in God at all, but rather feels that we are all on our own here in a most miraculous collection of beneficial circumstances…then it only makes sense to continue living life the way most people already do. Living a life that is solely concerned with self-care, self-protection, and self-advocacy…with the affairs of others being of not too much concern unless they impact or threaten one’s own happiness or survival.

On the other hand, if the biblical narrative in fact holds a measure of truth, and if the words of the Prophets are seen as some sort of an indicator of God’s will…if in fact the words of our passage today are truly ‘holy’, then there must be a reason for our being here that is larger than simply personal care and safety. There has to be more to life than just making it through the day right in front of us.

I believe that the will of God, as expressed throughout the scriptures and laced throughout the teachings of Jesus speaks to a time and place that is far different than where we all are right now. Not the ‘heaven after death narrative’ which so many see as the sole purpose of faith but rather a different goal, a different future for us to seek after…and to do so, right here and now.

And that is a world in which love truly does emerge as the true and underlying force that not only gives life but sustains it as well. A world where justice finally is allowed to rain down triumphant, and a time when warring and oppression finally do come to their deserved end. A blessed and holy time when concern for one’s neighbor really does come before concern for oneself, when everyone actually acts towards others in ways they wish others would act towards them. A time when all may see that indeed the ‘Kingdom truly has appeared among us’…and a time when the instructions in our passage today, finally start to make some sense.

Truly today’s passage asks of us a seemingly impossible task. To trust God enough and to have sufficient faith to be willing to live our lives on behalf of others, sure that the Lord will take care of us. It asks that we set aside literally millions of years of human evolution focused on learning how to survive within a horrifically dangerous world, to set all of that ‘hard-wired’ knowledge aside, and to instead trust in the words and teachings of a man who was put to death for speaking them some 2,000 years ago. 

Did we truly ‘hear’ the call of our Lord through these words in Luke which, though challenging, indeed may offer a way to finally be set free from hatred, prejudice, greed, warring, prejudice, and injustice forever? Might it not be the case, that a day of true peace is only possible when we set aside some measure of our own self-interest? Does faith in Jesus really ask us to live a life so different from the one we do now? I think it might.

I know it is not easy, and I can not tell you that abandoning instincts intended for personal survival is anything but almost impossible. And I surely cannot promise that doing so will yield some immediate, tangible benefit. For over the years, many gave their lives for this same purpose without ever seeing a return.

However, I can and do attest that this journey, if undertaken, will yield a quality of life and a sense of purpose that can never be matched by a life lived for self alone…

…make no mistake…the journey is perilous, but the measure we are so bold as to give, will be the measure we receive.

…amen