Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Golden Rule
(Matthew 7:12)
As a moral precept, the Golden Rule is easy to quote but difficult to live. Philosophically, it is one of the highest principles of conduct ever enjoined upon man. And, as is true with all ideals, the Golden Rule is impossible keep 100% of the time. Its elusive, lofty ideals, however, should be the moral goal of every follower of Christ.
The Golden Rule is all-encompassing—“all things.” In other words, there are no areas of exception when it comes to the Golden Rule. Whatever you wish men would do to you, you should do to them. If you desire courteous treatment, courteous treatment of others is incumbent upon you. If you desire the generosity of others, you must be generous too. There’s no dichotomy between givers and takers with the Golden Rule. All who would follow it must act toward others as they wish others to act toward them.
The Golden Rule is not prohibitory; rather, it is imperative—it commands action on my part. The things I “would” men should do to me are ideas of beneficent behavior that I may or may not experience at their hands. Whether I experience beneficence or not, I am told “do ye even so to them.” In other words, my active good toward others stems from my desiring good from them.
Why such an all-encompassing rule of human behavior? Simple—Jesus said fulfillment of this one little principle encompasses all the regulation of the law and the prophets. Growing in the Golden Rule—with all of its manifold implications—is the perfection of holiness in my life.
