#17 Top 40 New Testament Passages:The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
I was a young parent at one time, raising three children. I grew up in a Christian culture. Everybody I knew went to church. Everybody knew Christian ideology and practice. We all know the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed by memory, for we recited these each week in our worship together. So it was a surprise to me that one of my daughter's friends had never heard of The Golden Rule. She thought it was cool when I told her about it. And she was even more surprised when I shared that Jesus taught the Golden Rule in his famous Sermon on the Mount. In short, the Golden Rule is to treat others the way you wish to be treated.
Not only is the Golden Rule in Christ's Sermon on the Mount, it also appears in his Sermon on the Plain as recorded in Luke.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)
But it doesn't stop there. Christianity doesn't corner the market on morality. There are versions of the same kind of teaching in many of the world's religions.
143 leaders of the world's major faiths endorsed the Golden Rule as part of the 1993 "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic". Possibly the earliest affirmation of the maxim of reciprocity, reflecting the ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at, appears in the story of The Eloquent Peasant, which dates to the Middle Kingdom (c. 2040–1650 BC): "Now this is the command: Do to the doer to make him do." A Late Period (c. 664–323 BC) papyrus contains an early negative affirmation of the Golden Rule: "That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another."
But this reciprocal ethical teaching requires no belief in God or gods. It is simple common sense. Jesus was confirming the morality already recognized by the Jewish faith. The Law of Moses bids the covenant people of God to Love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)
Looking at the Golden Rule in the context in which it appears in the Sermon on the Mount might be illuminating. Some scholars do not believe that a sermon like what is recorded in Matthew actually happened. Rather the Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings from Jesus represented in the form of a sermon. The last chapter of the Sermon feels like a collection.
The first part of the sermon opens with the Beatitudes. Jesus is presented as the new Moses, announcing the blessings of the new covenant. Matthew likely wrote to a Jewish Christian audience that kept both observance of the laws of Moses and the new covenant in Christ. The Sermon calls Christians to a higher righteousness than that of the Pharisees and scribes. Doctrinally speaking, that higher righteousness is only achievable through the great grace of God that transforms the inner lives of disciples who trust in Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers a change of heart and life. (Philippians 2:12-13) The bar is raised to the perfection of God! (Matthew 5:48) Only an act of God will make conformation to the image of God's Son possible, which is our destiny. (Romans 8:29)
Jesus teaches how His disciples are to practice piety and not to focus on one's earthly concerns to the exclusion of their pursuit of the Kingdom of God and this higher righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) The last chapter which covers the Sermon on the Mount begins with a warning to not judge others. (Matthew 7:1-5) The severity with which we judge others will be the same weight of judgement we will experience. Forgiveness restores. Resentment destroys.
If we are to follow the Golden Rule, then forgive others, just as God has forgiven you. If you wish to be treated with mercy, then show mercy. If you wish to be treated with compassion then show compassion to others.
After the warning on judging others, Jesus makes a comment that sounds out of place. Don't give what is holy to dogs. Don't cast your pearls before swine. (Matthew 7:6) It's wisdom teaching, urging discretion in the disciple's dealings with people. What is so difficult about this teaching is it follows the warning to not judge others. Who might we judge as dogs or swine?! Who do we judge will be likely to turn upon us in violent rejection of the gospel? As Jesus told his disciples, “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)
The Sermon continues with a teaching on trust in God to provide, so pray! Ask, seek and knock! (Matthew 7:7-11) Then the Golden Rule is given.
The rule is said to be the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and the prophetic vision for a just society.
There are more teachings that follow which seem disconnected to one another, like a collection of sayings, but the higher righteousness of the new covenant under Christ is the consistent theme which ties them together. Our call to the higher righteousness of God and God's perfect love is a path that few find. (Matthew 7:13-14) Not everyone who does good deeds in the name of Christ is from Christ, or even knows Jesus. You will be able to spot impostors by the fruit their lives bear. Some are in philanthropic activities for the press. (Matthew 7:15-23)
The wise disciple of Jesus will put into practice what he has taught us in the Sermon in the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27) Indeed, if we profess to love Jesus, we will keep his commands. (John 14:15) We will love one another. We will forgive one another. We will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We will love God will our whole heart, mind and strength. We will do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
I was a young parent at one time, raising three children. I grew up in a Christian culture. Everybody I knew went to church. Everybody knew Christian ideology and practice. We all know the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed by memory, for we recited these each week in our worship together. So it was a surprise to me that one of my daughter's friends had never heard of The Golden Rule. She thought it was cool when I told her about it. And she was even more surprised when I shared that Jesus taught the Golden Rule in his famous Sermon on the Mount. In short, the Golden Rule is to treat others the way you wish to be treated.
Not only is the Golden Rule in Christ's Sermon on the Mount, it also appears in his Sermon on the Plain as recorded in Luke.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)
But it doesn't stop there. Christianity doesn't corner the market on morality. There are versions of the same kind of teaching in many of the world's religions.
143 leaders of the world's major faiths endorsed the Golden Rule as part of the 1993 "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic". Possibly the earliest affirmation of the maxim of reciprocity, reflecting the ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at, appears in the story of The Eloquent Peasant, which dates to the Middle Kingdom (c. 2040–1650 BC): "Now this is the command: Do to the doer to make him do." A Late Period (c. 664–323 BC) papyrus contains an early negative affirmation of the Golden Rule: "That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another."
But this reciprocal ethical teaching requires no belief in God or gods. It is simple common sense. Jesus was confirming the morality already recognized by the Jewish faith. The Law of Moses bids the covenant people of God to Love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)
Looking at the Golden Rule in the context in which it appears in the Sermon on the Mount might be illuminating. Some scholars do not believe that a sermon like what is recorded in Matthew actually happened. Rather the Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings from Jesus represented in the form of a sermon. The last chapter of the Sermon feels like a collection.
The first part of the sermon opens with the Beatitudes. Jesus is presented as the new Moses, announcing the blessings of the new covenant. Matthew likely wrote to a Jewish Christian audience that kept both observance of the laws of Moses and the new covenant in Christ. The Sermon calls Christians to a higher righteousness than that of the Pharisees and scribes. Doctrinally speaking, that higher righteousness is only achievable through the great grace of God that transforms the inner lives of disciples who trust in Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers a change of heart and life. (Philippians 2:12-13) The bar is raised to the perfection of God! (Matthew 5:48) Only an act of God will make conformation to the image of God's Son possible, which is our destiny. (Romans 8:29)
Jesus teaches how His disciples are to practice piety and not to focus on one's earthly concerns to the exclusion of their pursuit of the Kingdom of God and this higher righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) The last chapter which covers the Sermon on the Mount begins with a warning to not judge others. (Matthew 7:1-5) The severity with which we judge others will be the same weight of judgement we will experience. Forgiveness restores. Resentment destroys.
If we are to follow the Golden Rule, then forgive others, just as God has forgiven you. If you wish to be treated with mercy, then show mercy. If you wish to be treated with compassion then show compassion to others.
After the warning on judging others, Jesus makes a comment that sounds out of place. Don't give what is holy to dogs. Don't cast your pearls before swine. (Matthew 7:6) It's wisdom teaching, urging discretion in the disciple's dealings with people. What is so difficult about this teaching is it follows the warning to not judge others. Who might we judge as dogs or swine?! Who do we judge will be likely to turn upon us in violent rejection of the gospel? As Jesus told his disciples, “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)
The Sermon continues with a teaching on trust in God to provide, so pray! Ask, seek and knock! (Matthew 7:7-11) Then the Golden Rule is given.
The rule is said to be the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and the prophetic vision for a just society.
There are more teachings that follow which seem disconnected to one another, like a collection of sayings, but the higher righteousness of the new covenant under Christ is the consistent theme which ties them together. Our call to the higher righteousness of God and God's perfect love is a path that few find. (Matthew 7:13-14) Not everyone who does good deeds in the name of Christ is from Christ, or even knows Jesus. You will be able to spot impostors by the fruit their lives bear. Some are in philanthropic activities for the press. (Matthew 7:15-23)
The wise disciple of Jesus will put into practice what he has taught us in the Sermon in the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27) Indeed, if we profess to love Jesus, we will keep his commands. (John 14:15) We will love one another. We will forgive one another. We will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We will love God will our whole heart, mind and strength. We will do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
Comments
Post a Comment