Luke 6:37-42
The Measure You Give
Read the passage
37Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38Give, 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 back to you.”
39Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
42How can you say, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus tells His disciples not to judge, and they will not be judged; not to condemn, and they will not be condemned; forgive, and they will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to them.
He uses the picture of a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, poured into a person's lap. The measure we use for others will be used for us. This is a warning about the spirit of our judgments, not an instruction to ignore truth or danger.
Jesus asks whether a blind person can lead another blind person. Both will fall into a pit. A disciple is not above the teacher, but when fully trained will be like the teacher.
Then He asks why someone notices a speck in a brother's eye while ignoring the log in his own. The right order is self-examination first, then clear-sighted help for the other person.
How We Know
Jesus warns against judging others and uses the image of a speck and a log. Matthew 7:1-5 preserves the same image and warning, giving a direct comparison for Luke's teaching. Luke's placement within the sermon still controls how the saying is heard.
Questions
1 What attitudes does Jesus tell His disciples to resist?
AnswerHe tells them not to judge or condemn in a self-righteous way, and instead to forgive and give generously.
2 What does the overflowing measure illustrate?
AnswerIt illustrates generous treatment: the measure we use toward others will influence the measure we receive. Jesus urges mercy rather than narrow retaliation.
3 Why does Jesus mention blind guides?
AnswerA person who cannot see clearly cannot safely lead someone else. Teaching and correction require humility and truthful vision.
4 What must happen before helping another person with a speck?
AnswerWe must examine and remove our own larger fault first. Honest self-correction makes our help clearer and less hypocritical.
What This Means for Us
Jesus is not asking families to call wrong right or abandon discernment. He is confronting the pleasure of condemning others while refusing the same honesty about ourselves.
Before correcting a child, spouse, or neighbor, ask what part of the conflict belongs to you. Then speak with the goal of restoration, not the satisfaction of proving superiority.
Prayer
Merciful God, give us clear eyes about our own sin and generous measures toward others. Keep us from hypocrisy, teach us to correct with love, and make forgiveness truthful rather than careless. Amen.