Contextual Meaning

A ‘trunk’ can mean the trunk of a car, a tree, an elephant, etc. Words have contextual meanings. Since the internet, words have new meanings. ‘Bump’ used to mean encountering an obstacle (‘bump into a chair’), but now to move an online post or thread to the top. ‘Block’ used to be close off the road or path so that people or animals couldn’t walk through, but now to block someone from contacting you. ‘Catfish’ is a fish with whiskers, but now someone who sets up false profiles for fraud. ‘Cloud’ is a visible mass in the sky that held water vapors but now an invisible online storage area. We must always consider the contexts since words can mean differently in varying contexts.

When our family gets together, we play Codenames, a board game in which players must give a one-word clue to pick as many cards as possible. If the board had a shark, spear, bomb, and gossip, a shrewd player could give a clue, ‘dangerous,’ for his/her teammates to pick these items. Although random at first, these words are connected by ‘dangerous.’

Similarly, Jesus gave six related clues: merciful, judge, condemn, free, give, and measure.

“Becomes merciful as your Father is merciful and do not judge and be judged, and do not condemn and be condemned. Free and be freed. Give and be given to you – in good measure, pressed down, shaken up, and running over, it will be given up to your chest – since by the same measure you measure, it would be measured to you.” (Luke 6:36–38).

The context was an agricultural society where, for example, a tomato picker brought a basket full of tomatoes that she picked from the field for the foreman to evaluate and give her the day’s wages. Instead of scolding her for not filling her basket or adding small stones to increase the weight, the foreman was to show mercy to her, imitating the heavenly Father. Instead of judging, condemning, and throwing her in prison, he was to free her and measure her work generously. He was to be generous because the tables might be reversed one day, and he might be on the receiving end. He might be judged hastily, condemned, and imprisoned. He would desire freedom, lenience, and generosity!

We often hear people say, “Don’t judge me.” Showing lenience and being merciful are being like the heavenly Father, but not ignoring the wrong or judging a person by a standard. Jesus would have expected the foreman to catch the tomato picker in her error but then show mercy, lenience, and withhold condemnation and imprisonment for another day.

Verse 38a – “Give and be given to you – in good measure, pressed down, shaken up, and running over, it will be given up to your chest” – doesn’t refer to giving money to churches, as I’ve often heard it preached. Although giving money to churches, the poor, and God’s ministry is vital, this verse isn’t speaking of these. One may draw the principle ‘Generosity brings generosity,’ but use it cautiously.

When we are placed as judges to evaluate a situation, we must show mercy as our heavenly Father does. Pass the right judgment first but then withhold the deserved punishment. We want to do that because one day, we might need the same mercy from another.