The Measure with which you Measure

So often, when we read the stories in the Gospel, we search for meaning. Or perhaps there are many interpretations for the words. Well, today’s Gospel is not one of those. Instead, it is clear, direct, and concise. Jesus lays out as clearly as possible the message from His Father about how we are to live. 

It seems that a significant part of the rest of the Gospel is Jesus trying to help us understand the unambiguous message He gave us in today’s Gospel. The stories of healings, miracles, and parables were all ways Jesus was trying to help His followers to get the message.  

But how clever a teacher Jesus is. As He is bluntly laying out what they must do to be His follower, He is also painting an image of God.

This reading is painting a masterpiece that is not just about acting toward others. Instead, it is a picture of how God behaves toward us.

“To the person who strikes you on one cheek, turn and offer him the other.” So is that not exactly how God has treated us. When we have slapped Him by our anger, neglect, a demanding nature, or insincere praise, God consistently turns to offer us His other cheek. Patiently waiting for us to get tired of striking out and fall helplessly into His arms.

“And from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.” We take his cloak when we refuse to use the giftedness He has given to us. We take His cloak each time we turn from those who need our help because responding would be inconvenient and impractical. When we put our faith on a shelf in our lives. When we relegate it to an hour on Sunday, we strip Jesus of His cloak. Each time we choose not to live walking in His footsteps, Jesus reaches out, giving us even His tunic as he says. “Ok, get up. Try again. I’m here, and you can have all that I have and all that I am. Try as many times as you need to; I will still be here offering you the fullness of forgiveness and the fullness of God.”

In the Gospel of Matthew, this story includes the line, “If someone makes you carry a burden one mile, instead go two miles. How often do we ask God to carry our burdens?” “Lord, take this from me.” “God help me.” “God, you need to heal.” “Help my son find a job.” Help my daughter stop drinking.” We ask God to bear our burdens and no matter how many times we ask. Each time God says, “Is there anything else?”

And finally, “The measure with which you measure will be measured back to you.” God has measured out to us the fullness of unconditional love. He has gifted us with a roadmap to follow as we make our way through this world. He has showered us with the Holy Spirit, alive and well in our midst.

What will we measure back? Will we give back the fullness of our love and forgiveness by how we live with, speak to, and care for one another? Will we measure back the love God gives us by the way we treat those we do not like or whose politics we cannot accept? Will we measure back to God, unconditional love for His anawim, his lowly ones, the marginalized and neglected.  

Will we measure back to God our open, loving hearts? That is what He has measured to us. Can we do less than measure the same back to Him?

In God’s unending love,