I was reading the passage "interlude" between this week's passage and next week's. And I thought I would share something that was impressed upon me.
Here is the passage:
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, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
This is a remarkable passage! And many times it is taken out of context to proof text or prove someone's point out of context.
Unfortunately, many translations don't help with this! Many of them, in an attempt to set apart the sections of text, called pericopes, cause a misinterpretation. The previous section, Luke 6:27-36, is talking about mercy, or as Nazarenes like to sometimes switch it over to Grace. This pericope is all about grace!!
And so we find that verse 37 continues that line of thought. It is all about grace! So when it says do not judge, it is all about grace. When it says do not condemn, it is all about grace! These two lines are called parallel verses. They act to clarify each other. This is to illustrate the definition of judge and to help understand what judge and condemn are and what they are not about!
So do not be confused! This pericope is all about expounding the idea of mercy. It is NOT about having a moral relativistic attitude! We are to use discernment. We are to, as one scholar put it, "have an ethical evaluation."
The explanation goes even further, as the concept of the full measure is given. This is not a measure that is short or less than expected. It is a fair measure. It is completely full. Pressed down, shaken together and running over. That's a full measure!
And that is what we are to give in material needs and also in mercy. And that is also what will be given to us in equal reciprocity.
Pretty powerful stuff! Mercy is to be dispensed in ways and means of the wallet and the heart. Freely. Completely. But it is not about the giving to receive. It is about giving to give. Receiving will come in full measure, and the giving cannot be dependent on the receiving.
Have a good week!
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