The scriptures teach believers in Christ to give, following the example of our Father God, who demonstrates His love, grace, and goodness by giving generously. This generosity is evident in His providence and, most importantly, in the gift of His Son. We will explore this further in another series.
God is a lavish and generous giver, motivated by His nature of love and goodness to give good things to all. The Bible states that He extends His goodness to both the righteous and the unrighteous, giving without preconditions, rebuke, or blame (Matthew 5:45; John 3:16; Romans 5:5-8; Romans 8:32; James 1:5, 16-17; 1 John 4:19).
However, portraying God as one who only gives when men give to Him first is inconsistent with His character.
Luke 6:38 is often cited to justify this misunderstanding: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” (KJV).
The key question is, “What is the text and the context of this passage?”
In this passage, Jesus was teaching about judgment and mercy:
Luke 6:37-38 (NKJV): “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Cross-reference:
Matthew 7:1-2 (NKJV): “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Jesus taught similarly in Mark 4:24, though in a different context, still not about money or giving.
The larger context of Luke 6:38 is Luke 6:27-38. There, our Lord was teaching about God’s character in contrast to the character of men, showing that our God is loving and gracious. As His children, believers should be merciful and gracious like their Father and not do good only to those who do good to them or for what they hope to receive in return. This then leads to verse 38.
First, we would notice that Luke 6:38 does not mention giving money to God, nor does it suggest that God will return something to you. It is about human interactions, emphasizing that people will reciprocate your actions with equal or greater measure. The context is Jesus teaching about careful judgment and reciprocity among men, not about monetary transactions with God.
Luke 6:38 is not a promise that if you give money, God will multiply it and return it to you. Our Father is not a slot machine or a money doubler. He is a good and gracious Father who gives generously out of love, not in response to our giving.
Let’s embrace the true nature of God’s generosity and reflect His love and goodness in our interactions with others, and even in our giving.
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