“GOOD measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” (Luke 6:3838Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38).) Such measure may be seen meted out today in Palestine. “The measurer seats himself cross-legged on the ground, and proceeds to shovel the wheat or the barley, as the case may be, into the timneh (a circular wooden measure) with both his hands, until it is partly full. Next, he seizes the measure, and shakes it strongly from side to side... in order that the grain may settle into a smaller space, and repeats the shaking... until it is full up to the brim. As soon as this is the case, he gently but firmly presses upon it with his hands, so as to drive it into a yet smaller space. Finally, having made a slight hollow on the top, he takes some more handfuls of grain, and very skillfully constructs a cone of corn upon the flat surface of the timneh, which he has now filled. He continues to build up this cone until no more grain can possibly be held, and that which he adds begins to flow over and run down.” The measure thus filled up, shaken together, and running over, is considered good measure, and the large pocket formed of the loose robe above the girdle, forms an appropriate place wherein to hold the grain, and thus it is given into the buyer’s bosom.
Give love, give kindness, give sympathy, and it shall be given you. The fire does not complain of the coldness of the winter day—it gives out its heat; neither does the candle lament the darkness surrounding it—it gives out its light. Give, if you would receive. Remember the exhortation is that of our Master.