Matthew 7:12 (NLT)
“Do to others whatever you would like them
to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the
prophets.”
I recall the day that I learned that my
sister-in-law had all her banking account money stolen because someone somehow
got possession of her bank account number and password. Not too long ago my wife had her purse stolen
by a thief who broke her car window to get it.
Personal reminders of how much cheating and stealing and all kinds of
crimes occur in this world where people have absolutely no care or concern for
any one else but themselves.
In your childhood someone—likely your
parents—taught you the “Golden Rule” to “do unto others as you would have
others do unto you”. The biblical basis
for this code of ethical behavior is found in Matthew 7:12. Some will argue, for some reason, that
Matthew 7:12 is not exactly the words of the Golden Rule, but they are egging
for argumentation. The golden rule was
present in the philosophies of ancient India, Greece, Judea, and China[1] so
indeed it is conjecture whether Jesus was the first to state the golden rule
words. Nevertheless, our Lord taught
this principle in His Sermon on the Mount and it truly is a philosophy of life
that if every person would live by it, there would be no murders, thefts, and
other crimes that bring harm to others.
Think about what the business world would be like if the golden rule
were applied by all. What would it be
like if nations practiced this rule?
Think about how wonderful family and neighborhood and all other
relationships would be if everyone followed the golden rule. Indeed, how fortunate you are if you are part
of a family and/or a group of friends where the golden rule is practiced by
all.
The Message Bible translation has an
interesting interpretation of Matthew 7:12 --
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself
what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for
them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.” This interpretation takes a proactive
approach to positive relationships and interactions rather than a reactive
approach. So, if you need encouragement,
you should encourage others first. If
you need help in some way, help someone else first. If you desire a relationship or perhaps a
stronger relationship, you need to take the initiative to start or strengthen
that relationship. And so on……..
Jesus said that this proverbial saying is
the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. What does He mean? He means that everything that is written in
the Old Testament---including the Ten Commandments, all the “do’s and don’t
do’s” in Deuteronomy, all the writings of the Psalms and Proverbs---everything
written in the Old Testament can be summed up with this principle of
reciprocity.
When you pray the Lord’s prayer and come to
the part that says “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” think of the
golden rule. You know that on earth the
great majority of people do not practice this rule, but in heaven it will be
practiced. Does this not give you a
tinge of wishful thinking to be in heaven right now rather than facing all the
selfishness, lying, cheating, and all other wrongdoing that goes on because
people do not wish to practice the golden rule?
What are you doing that would
show Jesus that you are obeying His command that you do to others whatever
you’d like for them to do to you?
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