Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 NABRE
Jesus continues teaching the Sermon on the Mount, sharing what is known as the Golden Rule, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.“ These words encapsulate all of Christian morality in a single statement. Luke quotes Jesus as saying, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (6:31) We see in Leviticus the instruction, “love your neighbor as yourself.” (19:18) In Tobit we read, “Do to no one what you yourself hate.” (4:15) In Sirach we read, “Recognize that your neighbor feels as you do, and keep in mind everything you dislike.” (31:15) In Judaism the message centers on neighbor, community member or someone known. Jesus expands the message, it is more than the neighbor, or community member or brother and sister in Christ. For Christians the Golden Rule is universal, it applies for everyone from everyone, no exceptions. Jesus uses these similar rules from Judaism and formulates the widest possible expression. His words are inclusive of the quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures. Therefore the wording is similar but the context is much greater. As followers of Jesus it is our duty to show all who come in contact with us love that is as comprehensive as the love we have for ourselves. Jesus himself tells us of this link between his statement and Judaism saying, “This is the law and the prophets.“
It is a simple rule to remember but not so simple to accomplish. We naturally think of ourselves first and in the best light. However when it comes to others we see all their flaws and peculiarities, thus it is easy for us to discount their value and not see them as important as ourselves.
Do you follow the golden rule? Who is first in your life?
The Golden Rule is a simple rule to remember but not so simple to accomplish. We think of ourselves first and in the best light, when it comes to others we see all their flaws and peculiarities. Click To Tweet#bible’#godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #love #others #Matthew #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray #prayer #goodnews #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways