One of the main themes of our Lord’s preaching has been the consistent encouragement for His disciples to attain the Most Good, which is His Heavenly Father. That is, to be forgiving like Him, to be righteous like Him, and to be non-vindictive and merciful like Him. Jesus describes these character traits using the metaphor of “measure.” In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus describes this measure with the following words: “Give, and it will be given to you a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing.” (6.38)
Mark and Luke recount the story of a poor widow who walks up and places her last two small coins, worth a penny, into the Temple’s alms box. This event took place after Jesus entered Jerusalem, where he cleared out the Temple and drove away the money changers and vendors. Every day, Jesus visited the Temple to preach and teach about the Kingdom of Heaven. During a break from his teaching, Jesus sat near the Temple Treasury’s alms box, watching pilgrims drop in their offerings. He noticed a poor widow who dropped two small coins, worth about a penny of that time. Jesus called his disciples and said, “In truth I tell you, this poor widow put more in than all who contributed to the treasury; for they have all given from what they don’t need, but she, in her poverty, put in everything she had—her whole life.” (Mark 12.43-44)
The poor widow gave her entire life, not just what she had to live on. Many translations fail to grasp the depth of these words and lessen their meaning, restricting it to their narrow view, like “livelihood” or “her whole living,” and similar empty phrases. The poor widow achieved the perfection of the Heavenly Father by giving her entire life and existence, which the two small coins could surely buy for her as a widow. The weight of her sacrifice touched the Heavenly Father, and she found grace in His eyes—a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
Jesus, sitting at the right hand of the Father, watches each of us as we live out our baptismal promises. He observes how we offer ourselves to God. We must not hold anything back in our giving. We should give as the Father gave His Only Son to us. Indeed, God does not share or distribute His graces; He gives them freely. The Father gives His Son without reservation. He gives endlessly, offering His Son without holding anything back for Himself. We need to learn to give in this manner. We should not share what we do not need, but give our entire lives, and the Heavenly Father will pour into our lap His full measure—pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing—turning my small request into an occasion for Your abundant ransom, as St. Gregory of Narek prays. (Prayer 3.1)
The true measure of our gift is when the Heavenly Father accepts it, not just when we give it. We will gain favor before God because the Father will fill us with his abundant grace, full of joy and longing to save us. (Narek, Prayer 3.1)
