Jesus Said What?!?

The Golden Rule

Matthew 7 v 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

This is quite possibly the most famous thing Jesus ever said. It is popularly known as The Golden Rule. Many even refer to this statement from Jesus as the pinnacle of the sermon on the mount.

Today, as we usually do, I would like to give you three ideas to consider as you read and study these words that Jesus said.

1. The first thing I want to address is the misguided idea that The Golden Rule is the core of Christianity. It is not. The beauty, uniqueness, and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we could do nothing to make things right between God and us. And so, in His love, God made a way. The Father sent his only begotten son, Jesus, (John 3 v 16) to be born and to live as a human. Jesus, lived a sinless life and as part of the providential plan was brutally murdered on a Roman cross ( Acts 2 v23). But death could not hold its sinless victim. Jesus was resurrected from the dead (Acts 2 v 24) and now sits on the right side of the Father (Mark 16 v 19) interceding for us whom he has covered with his innocent blood (Romans 8 v 34). And by believing this in our heart and confessing this with our mouth, we are saved. This is the core of Christianity. The Golden Rule of treating others the way we want to be treated is simply the prescriptive call to action as we follow the one we call Lord and Savior. Jesus shares this essential rule to living out our lives as we imitate Him. In other words, living out the Golden Rule should be the fruit of the saving work of Christ. It should form the guiding principle in our attitude toward others. The reason I wanted to address the skewed interpretation of it being the core of Christianity first and foremost is because many of us, Christian and otherwise, fall into the trap of believing that our good works, especially unto others, qualifies us for a relationship with God and an entrance into heaven. As important as The Golden Rule is, it is Jesus’ call of action to those who have already placed their trust in Him. It is important that we don’t substitute one for the other.
2. The second idea I want to present to you is that when Jesus shared this with his disciples during the sermon on the mount, it set him apart from every other religious teaching of his time and even later. Many other religions and philosophies had and continue to have thinking along these lines but in a strong negative form. Buddhists say “Kill not, nor cause to kill” (Buddhist Hymns of Faith). Hindus say, “Do not unto others that which would cause you pain if done to you.” (Mahabharath 5,1517). The Greek King Nicocles said, “Do not do to others the things which make you angry when you experience them at the hands of other people.” One of the basic maxims of the Stoics was “What you do not wish to be done to you, do not do to anyone else.” These were and continue to even now be the prevalent thought by which most societies have built there culture around – we shouldn’t treat others the way we wouldn’t want to be treated. It is a call to absence of bad in our interaction with others. But Jesus takes it further. Its not just the absence of bad but the presence of selfless good that He calls his disciples into. Jesus is not impressed with a life of inactivity. He commands us to actively pour out our lives for the sake of others. The Bible reminds of this again and again. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12 v 10). “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4 v 32. “Even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10v 45). Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal 5 v13). I could go on but you get it. Our culture rides on the negative form of this principle and as believers we must break free from this mediocre idea of not hurting anyone to the greater calling of intentionally loving everyone. The Live and let live mantra has far too long plagued the “good Christians” of our era with mediocrity. In the name of keeping the peace, we pride ourselves in minding our own business. WE tarry in our work everyday, smile at our coworkers, keep our road rage at bay by the pressure of the fish sticker slapped onto the back of our car, wave politely at our neighbors, and drive into our garage. We might sprinkle in a occasional meal for a new mom, or a care package for the sick for good measure. That’s as far as our interaction beyond our friend circle goes. The negative form of this rule is a call to inactivity. Do not harm others. But the pivotal difference in what Jesus said on the Mount lies in the subtle change of turning this principle into the positive of doing to others good. William Barclay said, “A man could satisfy the negative form of the rule by simple inaction; if he consistently did nothing he would never break it. And a goodness which consists of doing nothing would be a contradiction of everything that Christian goodness means….I must do no harm to others is quite different from the attitude that says,” I must do my best to help people.”.” Jesus calls his disciples to a radically interactive life.
3. The third and final thought I’d like to present to you is the fact that Jesus sacrificially demonstrated The Golden Rule during his life on earth. We do not have a God who demands of us that which he does not do first. Jesus was the epitome of living a life for the sake of others, for doing to others as he wish done to him. In obedience to the Father he who was in the form of God, did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man. And being born in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. even death on a cross. (Philippians 2 v 6-8). It is important that we grasp the significance of how our God is different from other claimed deities. An important tool to learning about anything is the tool of comparison. You compare how the object you are learning about is similar to and different from others. Our God is creator of all things and perfector of our faith. He is keeper and sustainer. He is the alpha and Omega. God is holy, pure and true. HE is omnipotent and omniscient…the list goes on. No, He is not one of the many options to eternity. Jesus is the one and only way to the Father and the assurance of our life in eternity. He is not a myth. He stepped into History, lived a perfect life, and died a sacrificial sinner’s death to ransom us from destruction. This is the God who calls us to a life of unselfish and intentional service to Him and others.

The Golden Rule, is a shining beacon for all of us who call ourselves believers because, it is our prescribed life motto, it sets us apart from others who are led to inactivity in the lives of others, and it defined the demonstrated honorable life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.