HOW DO WE MEASURE (UP)?
LUKE 6:27-38 FEBRUARY 23, 2003
LUKE 6:27-38
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ lend to `sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
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. 38Give, 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."
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Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
During this Epiphany we have seen the glory of Jesus. We hear it in our readings. We realize this when we look at the glory of Jesus and see the glory of God Himself. As believers we see that God sets a standard that is higher than any earthly standard. He wants us to measures up to that standard of perfection. This morning as we heard those last words of our text they speak about measuring up and what measuring out. We ask ourselves, ‘How do we measure up in generosity,’ or as Scripture says, ‘How do we measure up?’ We don’t want to look at the comparisons that the world uses. They have a very low standard of what is truly right or wrong, or what they consider as moral or immoral. We don’t want to measure up to the world’s standards. The worldly standards just do not measure up to God’s standards. We want to measure up to the standards that Christ gives us.
From 2 Corinthians, this interesting verse that Paul wrote already in his time: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise"(2 CORINTHIANS 10:12). They set their standard on themselves and that of the world around them by saying, ‘Well, I can keep those standards.’ Who can’t? The standards of this world are set so low. Instead, we want to aim higher; we want to aim, as the Lord says, toward perfection. We ask ourselves (not in regard to sin—because in sin, we know we don’t measure up at all) how we measure up by using the faith that God has given us? How do we use that faith to measure up in showing that faith; namely, living our faith in our lives?
HOW DO WE MEASURE (UP)?
I. Like the world
II. Or like Christ
I. Like the world
At the very beginning of our text, the Lord talks about that Christian contrast—how our lives really, really contrast to the world by setting the standard. He says: 27"But I tell you who hear me: (He mentions that right away—you’re going to have to listen.) Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. It sounds just the opposite of what any of us would do but the Lord says that’s the standards for a Christian. These are the standards that go beyond the world. The world is always anxious to go out and take care of those that they hate. They are always anxious to go out and get even. A mark of a Christian is a much higher standard. He said if the believers are willing to do that, they’re no different than anyone else.
Jesus points out the standards of the world, doesn’t he? 32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ love those who love them. He says the world loves those who love them—their friends and family--they are easy to love. Anyone can do that. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ do that. Again, those that do good to one another do so because others have done good to them. It’s easy to do good to those who are good to you.
One more example: 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ lend to `sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. He really gets to the heart of the matter, looking at the world. Jesus is speaking concerning the people of His time but it’s fitting for our world to the end of time. Sinners or unbelievers do good and help one another, lend to one another, expecting something back—expecting to be repaid, in fact expecting maybe even a bit more whenever possible. Their motivation is not out of love for Christ, but out of love for themselves. That is the lowest standard that is in this world. You and I are to be different; we almost are the very opposite of what the world would do or even expect.
Jesus tells us how the world acts. Toward the end of our text he says: 37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. We don’t really hear those words in our world today of judging and condemning. Jesus did! The scribes and Pharisees were anxious to judge and condemn everything because they lived by the letter of the law. The law said this and the law said that—they didn’t understand the gospel. They didn’t even know it. They judged and condemned. Now, when there are things that are wrong according to Scriptures, yes, they need to be judged and condemned. Just for the sake of judging and condemning, the Lord says it is wrong. He says, ‘Forgive and you will be forgiven.’
As we look at our world, I’ve already said, we don’t do any judging or condemning, yet it’s there. As you look and listen to the news, there are a lot of cases tried before they get to court. There is a lot of what I would call second-guessing. Second-guessing is used instead of the words judging and condemning. One quick example: We hear about the war with Iraq. The United Nations says, ‘Yes! He’s not doing what he should. We should go to war. We should take care of him.’ Our President agrees. Our Congress agrees. Yet over the past week or two, there are a lot of people who disagree. They second-guess. They say it’s not right…it’s not just our nation, but throughout the world. In a sense, they’ve set up their own standard. There is nothing ever mentioned until a decision is made—the decision to go ahead—to go to war. Then everybody disagrees. That’s the world we live in. No one wants to offer his or her opinion until something is decided. The Lord reminds us as people in this world that it’s easy to second-guess, but He also says we ought to obey those in authority. They have our best interests in mind. "Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you"(HEBREWS 13:17). We obey our government; we obey our spiritual leaders, realizing that they only want the best, not for themselves, but for us.
Again, the standards of this world are so low that we can easily fall into them without thinking. The world around us says we can be happy if we have our health. We can be happier yet if we also have wealth. We can enjoy life. We can show off how important we are in this world. When we fall into that trap we struggle, we toil and we amass more things for ourselves…our world is full of things, our lives full of things until finally our lives are filled and we don’t know where to go with all of these things. The Lord says that is a pretty low standard when we concentrate so much on the things of this world. In Colossians we read: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ"(COLOSSIANS 2:8). Maybe we don’t weigh that out very often in our day-to-day living. Is this what Christ wants or is this what the world wants?
We grow up in this world, we live in this world, and often we are whacked on the back with what this world wants. This world expects certain things of people. There are certain things the world will demand in order for us to be considered successful in the world. That is not our standard—our standard is much higher. Another standard that the world has established is that we take care of ourselves. We look out for ourselves as Number One. We don’t need to be so concerned about everyone else. Sadly, we see that more and more and more. Hopefully this doesn’t afflict us too much, but we fall into that same thing from time to time. It’s our old sinful nature wanting to watch out for who is the most important. Who is the most important? It’s me and only me! (according to our old sinful flesh.) Paul warns us: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you"(ROMANS 12:3). This is the second passage today that has talked about the measure of faith.
We are to look at ourselves and consider the measure of faith that God has given us. We realize yes, like Paul says, we look at ourselves with sober judgement because we can only just bring Him our sins. We’re like the people of Isaiah. Read Isaiah 43:18-45(today’s first Scripture lesson) after you go home today. We don’t bring much to the Lord. We don’t go out of our way to find the sacrifices that we ought to bring, yet he says at the end: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”(ISAIAH 43:25). That makes us think of ourselves with sober judgement. That makes us realize that we don’t measure up.
We measure up very easily in the world’s standards, but we want to measure up according to the standards of Christ.
II. Like Christ
We remember how our text begins. It says: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. That takes work! Jesus was encouraging the disciples. To the believers who wanted to listen, he said, ‘You’re going to have to do that.’ They would be persecuted…the scribes and Pharisees would hate them. They were the leaders of the church. He said, ‘Pray for them, love them, do good to them.’ Then he used the comparison that the world might do only for those they already love. Jesus goes beyond that. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Even to the physical, if you’re struck, do not strike back. If someone wants your outer tunic, your coat, give him that and your shirt as well. Jesus was reminding the disciples that they were truly blessed even though they had forsaken family, friends, and livelihoods. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. What does the Lord say to His disciples? He was trying to get them to forget about the worldly standards. The worldly standard says, ‘we need more clothes. We need to take care of ourselves.’ The Lord says if someone else needs what you have, give it to them and do not demand it back. Then He gives their guideline: 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. Look, and if you see those in need, do to them as you would want them to do to you. Love them! They saw Jesus’ love and they were going to experience His love. We are at the beginning of Luke here. As Luke continues, we see them walk with Jesus in His ministry The disciples see Jesus hang on the cross and be put to death, and they think of these words and realize—that is LOVE!
Then Jesus sums it up: 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, (that’s what they were…children of God) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. In other portions of scripture He says, ‘Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.’ ‘The Lord makes His rain fall on the just and the unjust.’ The Lord does not stop to think, ‘Is this a good person or a bad person?’ He doesn’t stop to think, ‘Is this a friend or foe?’ That’s His standard, which is to be a standard for His believers. Then our text ends and Jesus sums it all up with this measure: 38Give, 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." We come to our theme ‘How do we measure (up)?’ Do we measure out like the world—a little bit stingy, a little bit selfish, self-centered? Or, do we measure up with Christ-like love?
We are giving because He is giving. He’s given us, as scripture says, more than we can even ask for or imagine. Sometimes I think we really forget that. We forget that because we live in this world. We live in this world’s standards and the world’s standards are so low. We struggle to get things in this world. The world tells us that we need more—always more. The Lord has given us much more than we will ever need. Psalm 23 reminds us that our Lord is with us even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But there is more, this Psalm reminds us of the blessing the Lord gives to each one of us. "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever"(PSALM 23:5b,6). The Lord doesn’t want us to be merciful and kind because we have nothing. The Lord wants us to be merciful and kind because He’s given us everything. He says our cup overflows. Our faith is filled with grace. We see His mercy and love. It follows us around ‘all the days of our life.’ Isn’t that a beautiful picture for us? When we are trying to chase the things of this world, the Lord sometimes has to follow pretty quickly to show us His mercy and love. Our gracious God says in the end that we will dwell in His house forever. We find the joy of life in the power, in the strength, in the comfort of God’s holy word. It is always there.
Listen to the words of Jesus when He spoke to His disciples and talks about this full measure of joy. "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them"(JOHN 17:13). Speaking to His disciples, He says He is going back to His heavenly Father but He had taught them His word so they would understand the full measure of His joy. The Lord is promising that He is going to return again but He has still given us the full measure of His joy. We might not consider ourselves wealthy according to the world’s standards—or powerful, or influential—but who cares about what the world says? The Lord says we have the forgiveness of sins, we have joy—joy that the world cannot give, peace that the world does not understand. The list goes on and on. All these gifts are found in the hearing and reading and studying of God’s holy Word.
Today, you may also want to read a prayer of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3, he’s telling the believers--I pray that you know how wide the love of the Lord God is, how long, how high, how deep—and he concludes by saying, "(I pray that you) know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God"(EPHESIANS 3:19). Over and over again, the Lord talks about being measured to the fullness of God—not just a little bit, not just a smattering, but believers are going to be given God’s fullness of joy and understanding.
How do we measure up? We realize we fall short. We also realize that the Lord has given us a standard to follow. The world does too. That’s just a standard that anyone can set for themselves. The standard that the Lord gives us is one that is a contrast to the world isn’t it? Love our enemies, do good to those we might not like, help those who will never repay us. The Lord would have us show His love by our love to those we might think are not so loveable. When you get a chance, there is great joy in doing these things, just like the Lord says. God’s standard is not to be so self-centered as to be concerned about ourselves, but to look out for others. We do that because Christ first loved us. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others"(PHILIPPIANS 2:3,4). That’s how we measure up. We measure up by being concerned about those around us because the Lord is already concerned about us, isn’t He? May all of us be anxious to strive to measure up according to Christ’s standards and not the world’s standards. Amen.
Pastor Timm O. Meyer
