THE
GOLDEN RULE
Among
all of Jesus' teachings, those that He spoke in His sermon on the
mount are probably the favorite and best known. Those who heard His
words, spoken like none other before Him, "were astonished...for
He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
(Mt. 7:28-29). They truly heard words to live by. How much greater
a world it would be if all mankind would apply them. How much
happier people would be if those teachings were the benchmarks of
everyone's life. They are practical and still as applicable today as
they were almost two thousand years ago. While our world is far
removed from a simpler time, man remains unchanged in regard to his
needs, his emotions and his fears, both physically and spiritually.
Our greatest needs in this life, as we look toward eternity, are met
in the words of the Savior.
If
we were to choose one nugget of wisdom from that entire discourse
that is probably most remembered, the golden rule would surely
prevail. Though not referred to in scripture as "the golden
rule," it has been aptly given that title by those of
generations past because of its great worth to mankind's coexistence
during our brief stay on this earth. Such wisdom in so few words
could only come from the mind of God. Listen to their worth:
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them,
for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Mt. 7:12)
Men
have tried to express these words in other ways, but have never been
able to improve on their perfection. One sage of old once said, "Do
not do to any other what you would not want them to do to you."
Even those words fail to express the Master's own wisdom, because
they approach the subject from a negative standpoint. To keep such
words would not demand that we do
anything constructive. To merely avoid
conflict or confrontation demands far little in comparison to Jesus'
teaching. Notice that He said, "whatever you want men to do
to you, do
also to them..."
Jesus
illustrated the positive
aspects of His "golden rule" when He told the parable of
the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:30-37). In that story, a priest and a
Levite both passed by a man who had been robbed and beaten. Jesus
contrasted their indifference in failing to meet the need to the
action
of the Samaritan who saw the need and responded. This man
did unto this victim as he would have wished someone to have done for
him.
In this case we see how the exercise of the "golden rule"
(by one whom the Jewish religious leaders looked down upon) surpassed
the outward facade of those who tried to appear
righteous. And so, as we consider this parable, we see that the
demonstration of the "golden rule" was equivalent to being
"neighbor to him who fell among the thieves" (vs. 36) As
Jesus put it, such action is a summation of "the Law and the
Prophets." (Mt. 7:12) which includes loving your neighbor as
yourself.
This
principle of truth is demonstrated in every facet of life where there
is interaction with others. The employee is to "...be obedient
to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and
trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice,
as menpleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from
the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to
men" (Eph. 6:5-7). If you were the employer, this is what you
would want and expect in order to run a business successfully. The
same principle applies to employers who are to "do the same
things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master
also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him." (vs. 9)
Likewise, employers must remember how to treat those that work for
them, to show the same respect and fairness for them as they would
want if the roles were reversed. Even in business, the "golden
rule" is the simple formula for success.
In
probably no other place is the "golden rule" more neglected
than in the home. Husbands and wives fuss and feud at each other,
forgetting their distinctive roles and allowing the love that once
drew them together to erode into a battle of self-will which
inevitably ends without a winner. Wives need to put on "the
incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit" while
husbands need to learn to "dwell with them with understanding,
giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel," all of this
being done in the knowledge that they are "heirs together of the
grace of life" (1 Pet. 3:5, 7) The summing up of such
instruction is to state the "golden rule," to "do unto
others as you would have them do unto you."
Also
within the home is often found the failure of siblings to respect
each other. Such sibling rivalry is characterized by selfishness
where they have not learned to share, as well as disrespect for the
other where they have failed to value each other as part of God's
creation. Verbally abusive language and degrading statements hurled
at one another are often the daily fare in such homes where love is
lost in a constant disregard for the feelings of brothers and
sisters. Sometimes these are merely displays of what the children
have seen and heard in their parents. Such is the demise of what is
commonly called a dysfunctional family, where the "golden rule"
has not been effectively applied. I cannot relate to such behavior,
having never known a time that my own brother and I ever disrespected
or showed contempt for each other. Our love for each other is
genuine and enduring. My heart aches for those who have not
experienced such indescribable joy.
Sadly,
such behavior among family members is not limited to youth. How many
times has been repeated the heart-rending scene of family members at
odds with each other over the reading of the last will and testament
of a loved one (?) who has passed away? Love is forgotten as greed
sets in and family members go at each other like wild animals.
Again, we see the results when the "golden rule" is
ignored.
Even
among brethren in the body of Christ, Jesus' words should ring true
as peace and harmony must prevail. Peter said it well when he wrote,
"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one
another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not
returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary
blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit
a blessing." (1 Pet. 3:8-9)
-
Gary V. Womack - July 2004