Anchor My Faith

The Golden Rule

Scripture: Matthew 5:46-47, 7:12; Luke 6:32-33

The previous lesson presented to us some rather difficult instructions: to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who abuse us. This lesson adds more burden to carry. Jesus continues by saying: ​^{Mt 7:12} “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is known as the golden rule and is a summary of the teachings of Law and the Prophets. All that you would expect or desire of others, in a similar circumstance, you are to do to them. We are not to act from selfishness or injustice, but instead we are to put ourselves in the place of others, and think about what you would expect from them. If we were to live in this way it would destroy such things as envy, treachery, unkindness, slander, theft, adultery, murder, and other forms of evil. How different the world would be if those evils were not present.

Jesus then provides three things about our relationships to think about in this regard: ^{Lk 6:32} “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? ^{Mt 5:46} For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ^{Lk 6:33} And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ^{Mt 5:47} And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 

If we love others as they love us or if we do good to those who do good to us that does not set us apart from those of the world, because they can do that also. What sets us apart from those of the world is when we love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27). Doing that draws upon the resources given to us at our spiritual birth and displays that we are different and provides them with an image of God.

Jesus gives one more responsibility that broadens this practice of loving our enemy and doing good to those who hate us, and that is who we have relationships with. What is our relationship like with those who do not fall in the class of being our enemies or those who hate us, but those we simply don’t like because of various reasons? Jesus tells us to not only greet those we like but those we don’t like. If we don’t are we not showing partiality, which James speaks so strongly against?

Later in his ministry, Jesus speaks about those we should entertain: ^{Lk 14:12} “He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”’

What Jesus is telling us to do is not easy and does not come naturally, but that which he asks us to do he provides us with the resources and the ability to do. Jesus had relationships with sinners and as he died on the cross he still loved them and forgave them. Jesus left us an example. We are to go and do likewise and some are giving their lives in the process.

Prayer

Father, the comfortable social clubs we have formed in our churches are enjoyable, but they have little impact on the unsaved. It is easy to love one another and to do good to those who do good to us, but what does that gain? To win the world to Christ and build the kingdom of God, requires the willingness to be uncomfortable and take risks that could be costly.