The Golden Rule

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).”

While we are comparing ourselves to others, it is easy to get caught up in retaliatory actions.  “He called me a bad name first!”  The Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12 reverses that and puts an end to it.  Interestingly, here Jesus says that this one Law sums up all the Scriptures, while in Matthew 22, he says that all the scriptures rest on loving God and loving our neighbor.  So which is it?  How can two laws and one law sum up all of scripture?  And surprisingly, if you were going to pick one of those two, wouldn’t you think it would be “love God”?  But no!  I believe that is because we love God by loving our neighbor.  That all scripture “rests on” this law means that if I am interpreting any part of scripture in a way that is hurtful to anyone, I am not reading it correctly.   

I believe Matthew 23 brings “love God” into the equation because human beings are so often unlovable.  As Jerry Seinfeld said, “People are the worst.”  And yet, God loves us so much that he died for us while we were still his enemies.

It is this “Golden Rule” that I think, if anything, should be put into classrooms around the country, not the Ten Commandments.  Those require a deep explanation, and are divisive.  If you are not Jewish or Christian, they are offensive.  But the golden rule is found in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, and Sikhism.  Is the goal to put something religious in the classrooms so we appear religious?  Even if it is offensive?  Or is the goal to instill better values in our children?  

But the beauty of following Jesus is that he is always taking us to a higher level.  At the Last Supper, after he washed their feet, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for his departure.  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).”  He went on to say “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).”  Love your enemies.  Pray for those who persecute you.  Count it all as joy.  It was said of old, you shall not murder, but I say unto you, if you have hate in your heart, you have already murdered.  Jesus didn’t just say it.  He lived it.  He forgave Simon the Pharisee for his insults.  He prayed forgiveness for the soldiers nailing him to the cross.  He forgave Peter three times for denying him.  He washed Judas’ feet.  

Have you been betrayed?  Hurt by someone you love and trusted?  This new command is much, much harder than the Golden Rule.  It is not enough to treat someone how I want to be treated.  I must love them as God loves each of us.  “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”  - CS Lewis.  This is what it means to follow Jesus.