David's Deliberations . . .

The Golden Rule

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." --Matthew 7:12

Here Jesus gives us the essence of His Father's commandments concerning our treatment of one another. We customarily refer to this command as "The Golden Rule." It is golden for at least two reasons. It is called "golden" because of its stature above all other commands or rules in greatness and purity; and it is certainly a "rule" because it is meant to guide our conduct toward godliness and righteousness. A "rule" is also a standard of measurement. It measures and establishes absolute, authoritative truth--authentic and accurate. We can measure or test ourselves and see how we are doing (2 Corinthians 13:5).

"Therefore." The word "therefore" draws us back to preceding thoughts. Jesus had just explained his Father's care for us as it is expressed in His answers to our prayers (7:7-11). Our Heavenly Father is very good to us, treating us just the way we would expect: not giving us what is bad, but rather what is good for us. Jesus is therefore calling us to imitate God's goodness. We see this same goodness toward others commanded, for example, in 7:1-5; 5:17-20; and 5:27-37. Basically, everything in Jesus' discourse is a call to do what He has says in 7:12, a summary statement of the Sermon on the Mount.

"In everything ... treat people..." We are to consider what we would want people in general to do to us. A literal way to translate this would be, "all things therefore, as much as it ever occurs, that you may wish that people may do to you..." The Lord would have us stop and ask this simple question of ourselves when dealing with others. "What would I want people to do to or for me if I were in similar circumstances." We are to measure the situation with Jesus' standard (rule) and act accordingly.

"Treat people the same way you want them to treat you." Simon Blackburn states that the Golden Rule can be "found in some form in almost every ethical tradition." For example Epicetus said, "What you avoid suffering yourself, seek not to inflict upon others." "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself" - Confucius. "That which you hate to be done to you, do not do to another" - Ancient Egypt. However, these ancient sayings are put in negative form. (That is, "What you DON'T want done to you, DON'T do to others"). Other forms of the Golden Rule state "Treat others well, so that they will treat you well." But, Christ states His rule in a pro-active form that focuses on positive action, without any expectation of reciprocity. In order to actively do to others what I would want done to me, I must think, evaluate, measure, and love (Phil. 2:3).

"For this is the Law and the Prophets." This rule - in positive form - is the essence of what was commanded in the Old Testament in regard to how we treat one another. "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD" (Lev. 19:18). Of course, the key to keeping the Golden Rule is love: humbly and sacrificially putting the needs of the person loved on an equal level or above your own--the kind of love that fulfills the requirement of the Law of God with respect to our treatment of one another. (See Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14; Matthew 22:37-40).

—David Carl Swanson