Heaped or Stricken?

Luke 6:37-38

New International Version (NIV)

Judging Others

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.”

When Jesus spoke these words, he said the message plainly as above, but also went on in parable form. There is no excuse then, written or in story form for hearing this message. 

The way this is spoken is in an affirming way, meaning he is not saying "You are going to be judged" but instead tells us positive things to do for our own well being. First, the 4 things he is talking about:

     1) Judgment - this is an act that requires reason. The Hebrew definition is "to separate, pick out, select, choose" It implies thought, examination, a weighing of two or more things. We obviously can't go through life with out selecting things. But we can go through life not selecting out individuals or people as "deserving" and "not deserving". 

     2) Condemnation - throwing out reason, condemnation deals with emotions. The definition being a public expression of disapproval. Condemnation is often the outcome of our judgment. Clearly, we need to let our emotional reactions and public disapproval go. 

     3) Forgiveness - literally in Hebrew "to set free, release". For me as I meditated on the idea of forgiveness I was reminded that I need to release people of my impractical expectations. Forgiveness comes when I set others free of that standard of perfectionism. 

     4) Giving - pretty straightforward. Our generosity determines what we get in return. The next verse really jumps into this specifically:

A little background first. In the time of these words were spoken, there was a system in the temples in which people brought offerings. Often these were measured out, some meant for God, some given to the priests. In the Talmud it indicates that some of the measuring jars were purposefully heaped up and others leveled off, depending on who was getting the offering. The other thing to know is the phrase "poured into your lap" - the original really indicates people giving a material gift to someone (they would carry gifts in their long robes/cloaks close to their chests). 

Taken together then, we see Jesus warns us, there are 3 ways to give things - pressed down and leveled off (the precise amount), shaken up (loose, so that less is actually given) and running over (more than required).  Our motives catch up with our giving, and he's pretty clear that we will get from others in the same way we give. 

I'd like to think we should apply this second concept of motives to the whole passage. Am I forgiving with an overflowing heart, or just doing what's required? Is my lack of condemnation just fluffed up to look like it's the right thing, yet in my heart it's otherwise? Am I living my life in a shaken up, stricken/packed down, or heaped and overflowing way?