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Author: Dave Hughes, from the Word of Life in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus says, ”Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

This passage seems to indicate there is a fundamental reciprocity in the Christian life: if we give to God, we will receive back. On one hand this is clearly true—if we are generous to God in giving of our time, talents and treasures God promises to be generous with us. This appeals to our human sense of a fair transaction. Yet the image seems to imply something deeper. The image is of a farmer receiving his grain back from the miller. He brings his grain for processing to remove the chaff and other waste and to his surprise the miller returns his processed grain in the original container pressed down, shaken to remove air pockets, spilling over the top! The miller wants to make sure the farmer leaves with more in his bag than he came with. The original listeners to Jesus would have understood that no earthly miller would do this—it would be bad business. So it is in the Kingdom of God: we bring our gifts shot through with chaff and flaws and receive abundantly more in return. We cannot outgive God.

Today, will we be generous towards God with our time, talents and treasure?

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.