Jesus said to his disciples: Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Lk 6:36-38)
I enjoy going to the movies. I almost always go alone because it’s “me time”. One of my unwritten rules for going to the movie is that I HAVE to get popcorn. Even if I’ve just eaten I have to have popcorn. Its interesting to observe how some of the employees somewhat fill the bag and place it on the counter; whereas, others fill the bag, shake the bag or pack it down using the scooper in order to fill up the empty spaces and then they fill it up some more. I like that later person – a lot. The Gospel passage above makes it clear that Jesus encountered these people and liked them a lot too.
These generous servers serve others in the measure that they themselves would like to be served. BIG scoops, BIG servings, shaken down, packed together and overflowing. Jesus uses such people as an example to us on how we should love, forgive, give and serve it other. All of these things come in measures. We can love, forgive, give and serve like the employee who somewhat fills the bag with popcorn or we can do them to overflowing.
Use a HUGE scooper! For, the measure with which you measure [God] will in return measure out to you.
Jesus is, as always, the best example. He IS the Big Scoop. God the Father served us with everything he had, his dearly beloved Son, and handed him (served him) over to us. We are invited to give back nothing less than everything.
Our daily lives give us a thousand opportunities to serve others in some measure, frugally or generously. What measure do we return to God in the giving our time and money (livelihood) to our church, what measure do we use in personal and family prayer, in serving our children, spouse, employer, customers, school work, sports, and forgiving one another?
We want to do these things in a way that people will say “wow”! Go crazy. In everything you do use a good measure, pack it together, shake it down, and serve it till it overflows. “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
That’s the big scoop.
