The Commerce of Grace

Readings for January 29

2 SM 7:18-19, 24-29  – First Reading

MK 4:21-25 – Gospel Reading

“The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,” says Jesus in Mark’s gospel. A most curious use of the word “measure” sits in front of us. To measure out refers to a prescribed amount in a transaction. Webster’s goes through no less than six different uses of the word “measure” before it introduces “for good measure.” Good measure means, “in addition to the minimum required: as an extra.”

In the first reading, God is described as a most gracious measurer of blessings. The coincidence of readings in Second Samuel and Mark is no coincidence. We are being taught something vitally important about God. Kind David recognized that God measured out his graces and mercy in abundance, not holding anything back. David was a blessed man. Israel was mightily blessed. David was convinced not just of God’s wondrous support and faithfulness, even in the face of his people Israel’s sin. He was certain, and startled, by God’s overwhelming graciousness. He had given Israel, and David, everything.

“Yet even this you see as too little, Lord God,” David said.

How do we measure out, and share? To most of us, to measure is to line up the length, breadth, depth and width. We do it all the time. We assess quantities, distances, schedules, and offerings with a keen eye. When we are asked for a measure we try to be as exact as possible.

Is that how God does it? Does the sun rise up like a light on the street, giving us just enough light to see where to park? Or does it explode into the sky, stretching across the entire horizon of the earth as we watch?

How we measure, so shall we be measured.

In Jesus’ day, a measure took place when you purchased a pound or bushel or gallon of grain, flour, or olive oil. A miserly vendor would cheat their customers, ever so little. At the end of the day, they would have made quite a bit up by shaving an ounce here and a pound there. In business, such is the way of commerce. A generous vendor would add a bit more to every measurement, giving out a gift. Over time, the generous vendor would share a large quantity of his profits simply by being kind.

Commerce, though, is typically all about canny, clever measurement about the length of things, the timing ofthings, the depth of things, and the width of things, in such a way as to be exact, not too little or too much. From the beginning of time, information has been in high demand, and a considerably prosperous commodity.

How we look at God’s dispense of information points back to our understanding of what we think of him. Does he tell us enough? Does he identify himself?

In the commerce of grace, or what we call blessings, God seems to be foolish about handing it out. He seems to have unlimited resources, and doesn’t worry about wasting goodness or running out. Is that prudent? Is he being a good steward?

In business, all sharing is done with the purpose of return, of revenue. With God, his rules of sharing seem to not produce any revenue at all. That’s not true, though. God has an expectation of payment. He told us so today. He has big plans, and we’re a part of it. His graces take on a bigger purpose than anything we can imagine, and has a large impact on both us and those we share with.

“Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” Pay attention, Jesus is telling us. “Take care what you hear.”

How do we measure out, hand out, and give out what God has given to us?  Do we even consider that God isexpecting us to do something with what he’s given us? If we’re not sure, what did we expect from God when we asked for his help? What do we know about God and his blessings?

Consider that what God gives us is what God is like. I was sick, and now I am well. So, God heals. I am lost, and I am found. So, God shepherds me. I am confused, and now I am certain. So, God answers everything.

Grace delivers all kinds of repairs and wonders. Each grace tells us something about God. What should we do about it?

Witness.

In matters of graces, of blessings, God witnesses who he is and testifies that he loves us. We have been told who God is. God wants the same from us.

“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed?” He is telling us to testify what we have been told. We are to be witnesses for God.

God wants us to share what he has told us, because he says as we measure out the relationship we have with God, still more will be given to us. It’s an explosive, blossoming, duplicating act. 1 plus 1 gives us 2. 2 plus two give us four. And so on. 4, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512. In no time at all, we hit a bazillion.

If we measure out nothing, simply transferring one thing into one, no duplication takes place. One. One. One. It just stays the same. We think we are holding it all inside, hiding what God has done for us so that it doesn’t get damaged or lost. But that’s not how the commerce of grace and blessings works.

One, left to it’s devices, will disintegrate. It melts away. It is like manna, which had to be picked up and eaten that day. We can’t preserve it. It spoils. It must be put to use. If we don’t witness what God has done for us, if we don’t at the least simply duplicate it, then what he has done for us will be taken away.

How can what God has done for us be taken away? How can blessings disappear? How is that even possible, much less weird? God gave us everything? He’d take that away?

“Even what he has will be taken away.” The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,and still more will be given to you. If you don’t measure out, then like manna, the blessing will disappear.

These past few weeks I have been struggling with remembering things, because they have been piling up. Each week seems to introduce a new thing I have to jot down. I place reminders in my path, by the door, in my pockets. Don’t forget, I tell myself.

My relationships with friends and family, even my wife, are like that. I forget to call my brothers or sisters on their birthdays. Sometimes I’m just lazy about it. When I talk to God about it, telling him that it’s important that I talk to my siblings, an opportunity will arise for me to call them. It’s almost uncanny. I find myself thinking about them, and then I call them, and they seem to have time to chat.

And we talk. I don’t just say hi and hang up. We have a conversation. That conversation builds back up our relationship. We share in the commerce of God’s blessings. If we don’t, we will argue, we will drone on, and another couple of years will go by. Eventually, the relationship will disappear. My chats with them are so seldom, because I have not understood what the blessings of my siblings are. They are relationships that reflect the goodness of God.

We think of the commerce of things as different than than the commerce of relationships. God thinks of commerce as his graces and his mercy. Sometimes I think the only commerce he cares about is relationships. We can’t even imagine witnessing what God is doing for us unless we realize that witnessing is what God wants. If we realize that’s what God wants, then we need to find out what that witnessing is about. God will explain it to us. He will explain to each of us how he personally wants us to witness.

It’s a conversation with epic results. We ask, “God, tell me about yourself.” And when he does, we find our selves telling someone else about what we learned. First those closest to us, and eventually someone that God brings to us. We don’t have to be confounded about God, just patient and accepting. We don’t have to fret about how to let others know, just available and relational.

Want to know about God? We must be witnesses about what we know already in order to hear more. He will never stop witnessing to us.