The Measure You Use - Mark 4:24–25

A thought-provoking oil painting illustrating the contrast between "Tradition" and being "Open," reflecting the teachings of Jesus in Mark 4:24–25.

Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”(Mark 4:24–25 NKJV)

Whenever I read this passage, I try to imagine myself in the crowd that day. Jesus has just finished talking about the lamp — the kingdom’s light, already lit, not meant to be hidden. Then He turns to another everyday image: the marketplace.

I picture a vendor pouring grain into a basket, pressing it down, shaking it together so the measure is full to the brim. A generous merchant gives more than expected; a dishonest one cheats you with less. Everybody in that crowd knew the difference. That’s the image Jesus uses to describe how we hear: “With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Matthew records this saying when Jesus talks about judgment (Matt. 7:2). Luke uses it in the context of generosity (Luke 6:38). That tells me Jesus may have repeated this illustration more than once, with different emphases. But here in Mark, the focus is squarely on hearing. What we bring to the Word determines what we receive from it.

Presence of the Kingdom

The kingdom is already here, breaking in through Jesus’ words and actions. That means hearing isn’t neutral. If I approach His teaching with a generous, open measure, more understanding is given. If I come closed off, distracted, or dismissive, even the little I think I have will slip away. The lamp is already burning; the question is whether I let its light fill me or treat it like background noise.

People of the Kingdom

Jesus was speaking in the plural. He wasn’t addressing just one person but the community of disciples together. The way they — as a group — received His word would shape their future. It’s still the same today: the church cannot thrive on shallow hearing. We are measured together by how we respond to His voice.

Principles of the Kingdom

Here’s the principle: what you do with the Word determines what the Word does with you.

That wasn’t a strange idea. The phrase “measure for measure” was a well-known proverb in Jewish life. The rabbis said, “By the measure a man metes, it shall be measured to him” (Mishnah Sotah 1:7). Everyone knew what dishonest scales looked like. Merchants kept two sets of weights: heavy ones for buying, light ones for selling. Some used containers with false bottoms. Others moved quickly so grain spilled away. Outwardly it looked fair; in reality it was theft.

We don’t have to look far to see the same principle today. Think about buying a bag of potato chips. The bag looks full, puffed up with air, but once you open it you realize it’s less than half full. Outwardly it promises abundance; inside it cheats you with less. That’s what dishonest measures do — they look right, but they deceive.

And isn’t that what happens when we come to the Word with a closed heart? Outwardly it looks like hearing, but inwardly it’s empty. We use false weights, pre-deciding what Scripture can and can’t mean. We keep double standards, applying it harshly to others but leniently to ourselves. We carry false bottoms, looking full of knowledge but lacking obedience underneath.

Jesus’ words expose this. In the kingdom, the measure you use is the measure you’ll receive. Dishonest hearing leads to dishonest understanding. A false weight produces a false result.

Application

This passage lands uncomfortably close to home. I’ve seen it in preaching. People tune out because they think they already know where the text is going. They expect the same predictable moral: be a better person, try harder, do good.

There was a stage in my life, even when I wasn’t preaching, where I’d listen to sermons and silently think, “This is how I would say it if I were in the pulpit.” Different voice, slightly different packaging, but the same message. Everything was reduced to me personally — my morals, my private piety, my priorities.

But that’s a small measure. If that’s the only way I hear the Bible, then I miss what it’s actually saying. Jesus’ words here warn me that if I come to the Word with a shallow, predictable measure, that’s all I’ll ever get. If I come hungry, open, expecting to hear the kingdom word — that God’s reign is already breaking into this world through Jesus — then God will give more.

And the opposite is just as true: if I stop listening, even the little I think I have will be taken away. Truth not embraced becomes truth lost. Light not followed becomes darkness.

I’ve seen both sides of the scale:

• One side weighted down with tradition and familiarity — people who cling so tightly to what they’ve always heard that nothing new can break through.

• The other side open and generous — people willing to let God’s Word reshape their worldview, even when it overturns long-held assumptions.

The first cheats itself; the second receives more. The measure we use in hearing is the measure we get back.

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References

• Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:38 – Parallels of the “measure” saying.

• Leviticus 19:35–36; Proverbs 11:1; Amos 8:5 – Honest weights and measures as a reflection of God’s justice.

• Mishnah Sotah 1:7 – “By the measure a man metes, it shall be measured to him.”

• Craig S. Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament – Market imagery of weights and measures.

• R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark (NIGTC) – On hearing and the plural “you.”