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“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 7:12 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
The Golden Rule
How often have you heard the Golden Rule quoted or misquoted? Do you even know what the Golden Rule is or where it originated?
I’ve heard several variations of the Golden Rule including some aberrant ones. One satirical version goes back to 1962 from a “Wizard of Id” comic strip— ”Remember the Golden Rule! Whoever has the gold, makes the rules!”
The basic principle of the Golden Rule, unlike the example above, is the ethic of reciprocity. It can be stated in either a negative or positive expression. Either, don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want them to do to you. Or, do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
There’s even a platinum rule deemed greater than the Golden Rule. It’s a clever turn of words more relevant to popular culture—treat others the way they want to be treated. This moves beyond the ethics of the Golden Rule to feelings and an emphasis on individual preferences.
In the ever-increasing postmodern mindset of our popular culture, the Golden Rule becomes—do no harm or hurt to others. As with the platinum rule, it’s a nice sentiment but lacks an ethical foundation. It’s a relative value rather than a constant, equal, or reciprocal morality.
This postmodern mindset crept into Christian belief and was identified as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD) in a book published in 2005 by two sociologists, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton. MTD is a mix of deism, moral relativism, and pop psychology.
MTD can be summed up this way—God exists and is available to help us when we need Him, people should be good, nice, and fair to each other so everyone can be happy and feel good about themselves, and good people will go to heaven when they die.
But where did the Golden Rule originate? You might be surprised.
Insights to consider
The simplest form of the Golden Rule, as stated by Jesus, is found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:12) and in Luke 6:31. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you….”
But the Golden Rule didn’t originate with Jesus. The gist of it existed in ancient times prior to the Lord’s life on earth. But Jesus, as He does so well, reframed the Golden Rule in correlation to God’s Kingdom.
This maxim of reciprocal concern for others is found in almost every major religion and was included in a Declaration Toward a Global Ethic by 143 religious leaders in 1992.
The Golden Rule is not a specifically Christian idea nor exclusive to Judeo-Christian ethics.
But a famous Jewish rabbi was challenged by a Gentile to briefly summarize the Law. Here is what Rabbi Hillel answered in about AD 20— “What is hateful to you, do not do to anyone else. This is the whole law; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.”
The Christian faith cannot be reduced to the Golden Rule but the Law of Moses can.
A True Way of Life
When Jesus declared His summary of the Law and the Prophets, He expressed it in a positive rather than a negative ethic. Many people falsely describe Christianity as a bunch of do’s and don’ts or rules to abide by, and yet, the positive expression of the Golden Rule transcends religion and culture.
Many people who have read through the Mosaic Law in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, find it boring and tedious. It can seem so unless you understand how radically different the moral, civil, and health guidance in the Law was in contrast to the idolatrous tribal peoples of the region of Canaan and surrounding lands.
We need to keep in mind that Jesus, as the Messiah, would usher in a New Covenant greater than the original or Old Covenant God established with His people (Heb 8:6-13).
As mentioned in earlier devotionals, Jesus redefined the Law back to its intended essence by reframing certain parts this way, “You’ve heard that it was said… but I tell you….”
Jesus begins to redefine the Law when He declares, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.“ (Matt 5:17)
Jesus brings His primary moral teaching of the Sermon on the Mount to a conclusion with the Golden Rule. In our popular culture, we’d say, this is His bottom-line summary of all the Law and the Prophets. It’s a very brief summary of centuries of teaching and exhortations.
When Jesus died upon the cross and rose from the dead, He canceled the condemning power of the Law for those who trusted in God by faith (Rom 10:4; Col 2:13-15).
The Mosaic Law and Old Covenant were fulfilled by Jesus through His death and resurrection, and He opened the door to a new way of life (John 10:9-11; 14:6).
Those who choose to trust in Jesus, who He is by faith and what He did upon the cross, have the assurance of citizenship in God’s Kingdom and the promise of eternal life (John 3:16).
How do you see the Golden Rule in effect in your life and in the lives of others?
Reflection—
The Golden Rule expresses the reciprocal ethic to do unto others what we would have them do towards us. The Christian faith cannot be reduced to the Golden Rule. Jesus said it was a summary of the Law and the Prophets and He fulfilled them by His death and resurrection.
Prayer Focus—
When you find yourself being swept along by the cultural winds of moral relativism, ask the Lord to help you see how to abide by the Golden Rule in your relationships and interactions with others.
Devo Scripture Text
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
(Matthew 7:1-12 NIV84)