How To Receive More Than We Give - February 11, 2024
Text: Luke 6:38
There's a song called "Bread Upon the Water" written by Janny and Bill Grein. The words go like this:
There are people who think they’re not receiving anything from God at all. Oh, they are shaken from their believing. When they don’t see results, they quickly fall. But don’t you waver, just keep on living in the way God wants you to. Don’t get discourged, keep on giving and soon it will come back to you. Just keep on working, seeking the Kingdom instead of working for needs. Just keep on sharing the love of Jesus. You know growing comes from planting seeds. (Chorus) Keep on casting your bread upon the water and soon it’s going to come back home on every wave. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over and soon it’s going to come back home on every wave.
I first heard the song performed by the Gaither Vocal Band years ago and soon realized it came from Luke 6:38 where Jesus said: "Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
The words of the chorus are what initially caught my attention -- exactly what does 'good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over' actually mean? This morning, I thought we could explore just that.
In Luke 6:38 Jesus revealed a plan that will allow Christian to receive more than we give. But is it right to expect our giving to make us receivers? Yes. Jesus guaranteed it when He said, "Give and it shall be given unto you." But there is something else to consider: Givers receive more than they give. This we are told in the next part of the verse with the words: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. Modern translations of this line say: 'shall men give into your lap.' And yes, there is an analogy to cooking here because when you measure the ingredients correctly and mix them properly, you get a good, finished product whether it be a meal, a baked good or whatever else you are cooking. The lesson is when we give generously, God will reward us generously.
All of us have received abundant blessings from God so we should always give back abundantly to those around us in the same way. Why? Something John Bunyan once wrote sums it up pretty clear: "A man there was, though some did think him mad; the more he cast away, the more he had." Bunyan likely wrote this from experience. Perhaps it was the years he spent in a Bedford jail that offered him the time to think about his life and how he could live it better. However it came about, He came to believe that when you give back you indeed receive more in return for your efforts.
When Jesus said: "pressed down, shaken together and running over," He is describing the 'good measure' that will be returned those that give. He is telling us that because we have received abundantly from God, God expects us to give abundantly to others. And when we do that, what we receive in return from God will be over and above what we have given to others.
Jesus guarantees that we will receive the 'same measure' of what we give when He said, "the same measure you mete.' Mete means to give out and this is significant." It is significant because God controls the scales and is the one who makes them balance. If we are stingy in our giving, we risk God being stingy with His blessings to us. When we give generously, God will be generous with His blessing to us.
And notice how Jesus is talking about a compressing of receipts. This is what moves givers into the 'good measure' category. Their possessions are pressed down and shaken together showing the total report of their receipts is "running over." It shows us that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive because the more we give, the more we honor God!
Jesus makes it clear that the more we give to God and invest in His work, the more we will receive from Him. The less we surrender of our time, talents, and efforts to the Lord, the less we will receive Him. Giving and receiving are investments that pay back big dividends to us. God will reward us when we give back. We should never be asking how much we can keep but rather how much we can give to help, honor, and bless others. For by doing so, we in turn will be blessed by God in ways we can't fully imagine.
All Christians made a choice to become the givers God wants us to be. When we help and give to others in need, we are in fact giving back to God. But be careful: we should never give anything expecting that we deserve something in return. Remember it is God who balances the scales and will decide on what we should receive in return for our efforts. He alone knows the condition of our hearts. Giving only to expect something in return is selfish and speaks more about the condition of our hearts than the nature of our acts of giving. As Christians, God expects us to have generous hearts and give freely of our time, money, and skills where and when needed. If we see a need somewhere, we don't always have to wait to be asked to help. We can also take the initiative and work to satisfy the need.
But we also have to understand, it's not only about giving money. Sure, money is needed to pay the bills and satisfy some particular needs. But is most important is that whenever we help or give of our time or talent to someone in need or participate in efforts designed to help our church or the community, we are honoring God and giving back to Him some of what He has already given to us. And we are actively investing in our eternal future. When we give generously from our heart without regard to how we will be repaid, God will always generously bless us in return.
The song I first heard so many years ago emphasizes what Jesus taught us in Luke 6:38, showing how we should always be working for others, sharing the love of Jesus, and honoring God our Father in all that we do. We can't make others believe when we tell them about Jesus. All we can do is plant a seed in their hearts and minds. And who knows, perhaps one day when they are at a low point, they will remember how we showed them kindness or told them how Jesus helps us, and they will begin to think that there is something to what we have shared with them. They may come back to us to ask questions or thank us for telling them, or we may never hear from them again until we get to Heaven. Either way, keep casting your bread upon the water and it will come back home on every wave. Translation: live as Jesus teaches us to live and not for whatever personal gain we may receive. Keep working to plant the seed. That is all that we are asked to do. Those in whom we plant the seed will come to God if they allow the seed to take root and grow. We may never know it grew until we get to Heaven.
Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.