SERVICES: SATURDAY 6PM | SUNDAY 9AM & 10:45AM. 

We Livestream at www.FaithFellowshipWeb.com/livestream, through the FFC App, and YouTube.

Pressed Down, Shaken, Running Over

Pressed Down, Shaken, Running Over

Words of Faith 5-3-18

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2018

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

 

Luke 6

   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."

   [39] He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? [40] A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

 

     The next statement of Jesus is familiar. "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." Why is that text so familiar?

     This verse is familiar because we have often heard it related to an offering or a pledge campaign! This is the verse that tells how much you will get back if you will just give an offering. Why was Jesus taking an offering in the middle of a teaching on forgiveness? Why did Jesus change the subject? He does that sometimes but why did Jesus decide to do fundraising in the middle of a sermon about forgiveness?

       Hmm. Perhaps this text is not as much about giving an offering as it is about giving something more important. Let's look.

     The Greek word that is translated "give" means to bestow or deliver. It does not mean "to make an offering". There are seven words in Greek that Jesus could have used to describe "offerings". There are twenty-six Hebrew words that Jesus knew for "offerings" and this word "give" is not any of them. If Jesus had wanted to say "give an offering", He had 33 words at His disposal and He did not choose any of them. So what was Jesus talking about? Hmm. How about forgiveness?

       The context of the teaching at this point was forgiveness. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Bestow forgiveness and there is great blessing that will be bestowed to you.  A good measure of grace and mercy will be poured out into your lap pressed down, shaken together and running over.

       Now don't misunderstand. There are plenty of other Scriptures that teach us that by giving and releasing what we cling to we find great blessing in our lives. Sowing is related to reaping a blessing in our lives. But here Jesus was talking about something more important.

       Jesus is saying that the starting point for getting your life straight and experiencing the blessing of God is forgiveness. For many of us the will and the work of God are blocked in our lives because of unforgiveness. We often prefer to judge in our minds, condemn in our hearts, and burn to the ground in our inner thoughts.

     Jesus is saying that what God has for us is so great that we cannot even imagine, but it is often stymied by unforgiveness. We tend to think about material blessings but Jesus suggests that our initiative to forgive unblocks varied blessings from God that are indescribable-- pressed down shaken together, running over and poured into your lap.

     When we experience God that way we really have something to share! And when we do not, we have nothing to share. Many Christians do not have much to share of the life and wonder of God because they have been stuck, stopped, or blocked because of unforgiveness.

       Jesus moved to a parable. "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Unless we start at the point of forgiveness we will be blinded and have nothing to offer to anyone. We become "blind guides", the very phrase that Jesus used to confront the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt. 23:16,24).  

       Are you ready to experience great blessing? Such blessing often begins with forgiveness. Is there a blockage of unforgiveness that you have been clinging to?

 

       Father God, show me any person against whom I am harboring ill will. Give me grace to forgive. Cause an overflow of Your grace and mercy in my life. In Jesus' name.