So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
The Golden Rule is a common phrase in America. Children are taught it as a way for little minds to understand the difference between good and bad behavior. If you don’t want another child hitting you, or stealing your cupcake, then you should not do that to others. It all seems rather straight forward to adults teaching children how to be nice and well behaved. But I often wonder if adults understand that it applies to them also.
This is not a nursery rhyme or advertising slogan for good parenting. This is the words Jesus gave over two-centuries ago. A similar verse is found in the Old Testament.
“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
In Matthew 7 And Leviticus 19, God is speaking to adults about their behavior. He gives several clear rules on behaving in a way that pleases God, and that creates a more peaceful life. There are many things which we choose to do because of selfishness, ego, or lack of knowledge. God knows how easily we choose poorly and He gives specific instructions to help us understand a better way. Basically, we all have great capacity to behave like grumpy, defiant children who insist on getting our own way. God knows our tendencies. He teaches about even the smallest actions which hurt others and ultimately hurt us. We are His creation. His children. He is our Father.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
In reading Matthew 7 and Leviticus 19, we find many good and reasonable instructions on how we would prefer other people to live their lives, especially in dealing with us. God, in His great wisdom, believes that expecting good behavior from others begins by modeling good behavior towards others. We are to be the light of the world. Because Jesus is the light and we are to spread that light to the world.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
In Leviticus 19 there are many good rules for us to follow. These commands were given to the Israelites through Moses, after they fled from slavery in Egypt and before they crossed over into the promised land. Some of the rules apply to the old covenant when Israel lived under the Law of Moses. But some are still relevant to us today as we live under a new covenant through the saving grace of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
The Bible says God does not change. Even though He has revealed more of Himself in the New Testament through Jesus’ teachings and sacrifice. Jesus did make some of the Laws of Moses obsolete. The Law of Moses was a written set of rules for people to follow to please and be faithful to God during ancient times.
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
God anticipated that the writing of the laws on our hearts would be needed from before He created us. He knows the end from the beginning. He knew that humanity needed to see the law written on stone tablets so that they would understand what was required. He also knew humanity is incapable of following a written law. We need the grace of God from the sacrifice of Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit. The law can now be written on our hearts if we are willing to follow and obey Jesus. We have the very power of God, as the indwelling Holy Spirit, helping us to change our hearts from the inside out.
6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Let’s discuss some of the rules God has given in the Bible which are now written of the hearts of the people who trust and follow Jesus.
3 “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.
4 “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
11 “‘Do not steal.
“‘Do not lie.
“‘Do not deceive one another.
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
13 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.
14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.
15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.
17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Most of these laws seem straight forward and easy to understand in our minds. But our hearts, egos, and selfishness often struggle with what our mind knows and remembers.
Much of Leviticus 19:11-14 is taken from the Ten Commandments. Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not withhold wages of a hire man over night. These appear to be derived directly from Exodus 20:15, “You shall not steal, the eighth of the Ten commandments. Have we owed someone money and decided to hold onto the money for later without considering how it might affect the person you owe the money?
Leviticus 19:8-20 appear to be examples of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:12. Treat others the way we want to be treated. No one wants to endure slander or gossip about themselves or to be hated by neighbors. Everyone wants to be treated fairly and respectfully. To have a fair day in the courts or justice for themselves.
Leviticus 19:19-28 seem to refer to ancient times or long buried civilizations. Some of the verses might be relevant to today. Those concerning agriculture, practicing divinations or worshipping the dead.
29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.
30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.
31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
32 “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.
33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
37 “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”
Leviticus 19:29-37 are relevant to today. Obviously, sex trafficking of children is a problem in our society which should not be ignored or tolerated. Verse 29 concerns sexual exploitation of children.
Verse 31 is still relevant. Several times in the Bible, God tells use to not talk to the dead, use divination, witchcraft, or fortune tellers.
Verse 32 directs us to respect the elderly. a common tradition across many cultures and civilizations.
Verse 33 tells us to treat foreigners in our society using the same laws as the native born. We must love them as ourselves. God repeats this command over two dozen times in the Old Testament. Jesus taught this same command several times including in the parable of the good Samaritan. Certainly, if we are robbed and abandoned in distress by the roadside, we would want those nearby to help us. This is part of the Golden Rule and the parable of the Good Samaritan. I wrote the essay Israel and Foreigners to remind Israel of commandments from their God. The click here page is a list of dozens of verses where God tells Israel to treat foreigners the same as their fellow Israelites. When God says something dozens of times, it is a command to be taken very seriously. It is not something to ignore or pretend that God only intends that to apply to other people. The USA needs to take God’s repeated commands seriously. Even though the USA did not exist when the commands were spoken and written down, God’s opinions do not change over time.
Verse 34 concerning using fair scales or weights and measures is another way of telling people not to steal from each other. The eighth of the Ten Commandments is you shall not steal. Nobody wants to be stolen from so according to the Mosaic Law and Jesus this means we should not manipulate commerce to make profit unfairly. It is a type of theft.
Most of the commands in Leviticus 19 remain good rules for us to follow even under the New Covenant. I am assuming these commands are written on our hearts and brought to our minds as we live in very different modern times. Matthew 7 is Jesus speaking. This Jesus is also the I AM as Jehovah was to Israel in the Old Covenant. God is one. He does not change. Though He did reveal more of himself through Jesus’ willingness to be crucified for our sins and to wash us clean from sin, making us presentable to God the Father for all eternity.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “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? 4 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? 5 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.
Matthew 7 begins by Jesus telling us not to judge others. Instead we are to seek out our problems to be corrected. We need continuous prayer and Bible study to find the plank in our eyes. We need Jesus’ help to see Jesus and His ways more clearly. Even Jesus said He did not come to judge the world but to save it. John 12:47. I believe if Jesus is working to save us rather than judge and condemn us, perhaps we should do the same. We certainly want other people to do the same for us.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 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! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
In verses 7-12 we are told that Father God is good towards us. We all want that for ourselves, our family, and our friends. We need to remember to be diligent in prayer and careful in asking God for what we want. I am reminded of my brother who wanted a car for his sixteenth birthday. He quickly wrecked his birthday present before getting more than a block from home. It was a terrible day for him and for my father who loved him. Many times, we ask for what we desperately want but never stop to consider if it is the best choice for us. In our enthusiasm to get something to make our lives wonderful, we quickly forget the responsibility needed for that wonderful life. In 1 Samuel 8:1-22, ancient Israel asked the prophet Samuel to give Israel a king to rule over them like other nations. Samuel told God what was asked. God replied that the people were not rejecting Samuel but were rejecting God as their king. God told Samuel to warn the people what a king would demand from them. But the people insisted and God gave the people what they wanted. God did intend for Himself to be their King and then later for Jesus to be their Messiah. But He let the people choose. The people chose badly. Samuel was not a good king. He was good looking and impressive, but his heart was not right with God. Saul became an evil king who wanted to kill David. David was a fierce warrior with a heart for God. God judges by the heart and willingness to humble ourselves before God. People are too easily impressed with appearance and worldly power which far too often turns to self-absorbed evil. Many times, we believe that powerful people can fix our problems or change the world to make it what we want. In our zeal to fix things, we often forget that God is all Powerful. His wisdom and knowledge about us and our needs is far greater than we can imagine. Psalm 139. Even though we are pleased God gives us what we want, sometimes we must be very careful with what we ask from God.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
In this verse, it seems that most of us would choose the all you can eat buffet, rather than a simple and healthy meal at home with family. Many of us are surrounded with endless choices to spend money and bring excitement into our lives. Sport leagues now play and practice on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. The times when previous generations went to church. Shopping is a 24/7 adventure for anyone who applies for an endless number of credit cards. As I write this essay and search Bible verses, I am constantly being enticed by ads to buy more of the latest and greatest things that I searched on the web yesterday.
The wide gate is easily accessible. There are many welcoming and encouraging people wanting to help us enter and walk with them towards destruction. But Jesus speaks of the more difficult way. The narrow gate. The gate which leads to life, to Jesus himself. The gate through which we can learn to trust and obey God. To pray consistently in all things. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. To do good and make sacrifices for the Kingdom of God that will please God and last through eternity. Following Jesus is not a life of egotistical desire or unnecessary abundance. Following Jesus is a life of discipline, humility leading to eternal peace and joy with God.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
Several times, Paul compared following Jesus to running a race. Following Jesus requires discipline and continuous effort. It is similar to training for an athletic competition. There is regular practice, such a daily Bible reding. There is the denial of many foods, using the healthiest foods to fuel our bodies, such a reading Christian books and Bible studies. Turning off the TV when a show’s theme includes indulgence in sinful behavior. There is learning from people who competed before and can teach you how to avoid their mistakes. This is similar to regular church attendance with preaching and discussing among other Christians what helps and what hinders knowing Jesus. So let us do what we wish others would do for us. Let us encourage each other to accept the challenge of becoming the type of believers and disciplined followers God wants us to be.
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
These verses are difficult for many Christians to accept. Finding out that someone in your church or a friend is actually a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing is heartbreaking. It can create serious trust issues for many good people. History is littered with individuals who appeared to be decent only to be found out to be thieves, liars, grifters, killers, and sexual abusers. It has happened repeatedly throughout history. We all wonder how the deception happened to someone else. Many books are written as fiction and nonfiction about these types of people.
How do we protect ourselves from being hood-winked or victims of such people. First and most importantly we pray. We seek guidance from God in all that we do and all that we hear and say. We do not judge, gossip, or condemn others. But we ask God to give us wisdom to discern rightly what is happening around us. Don’t let your ego or arrogance convince you that you do not need to check with God on a matter. Listen to warnings from other Christians.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Secondly, we continue to read the Bible regularly asking God to help us understand what He wants us to understand. Getting the word of God so deeply imbedded in our hearts, that we are better able to recognize a problem, a lie, or misquoted scripture. We seek counsel from trusted Christians if something seems off or unusual to us. As many women are told, when your gut tells you something is wrong, walk away. Don’t be polite and let yourself be talked into something that just feels wrong. Jesus said this to his followers.
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Here Jesus reiterates much of what the Bible tells us that God wants us to listen to Him and do what He tells us to do. Learn the words of God as written in The Living Bible. Memorize Bible verses. Write them on your doorpost. Carry then with you everywhere you go as words tied around your arm or on your forehead. Do what the Bible says to do under God’s prayerful guidance. Listen and learn day after day what God says and what He did in the past. Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
If you have an iPhone there is an app called pages. I started multiple pages categorizing Bible verse when I read them. I made pages titled self-control, resilience, resist, joy, peace, gossip, knowledge, trusting man, and other things. When finding a verse that applies to some part of my life, I cut and paste it from Biblegateway.com and put it on an appropriate page. Any type of problem or concern I have, I start a page and begin collecting relevant Bible verses. Then I can continually and easily remind myself what God says about that problem or concern.
There is artwork hanging on my walls at home of Bible verses written in unique ways. Some people put a Bible verse as a screen saver on a computer. Some print Bible verses and stick them on walls at work. There are multiple Bible verse cards available on the internet, either through Christian web pages, Facebook, Instagram, or Amazon.
Our ability to surround ourselves with Bible verses relevant to our lives in endless ways is usually only a few clicks away. The important part is our commitment to read these verses regularly. God knows we need constant reminders. It takes time for God’s truth to be embedded deeply in our souls and inscribed on our hearts. Once God’s words are embedded in our minds and souls, they become inscribed on our hearts and we begin to know right from wrong without needing to stop and try to understand or remember.
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
In the Old Testament, God tells ancient Israel what is expected of them, How He wants His children to behavior towards others. The ancient Laws seem strange to modern civilizations, but the ancient times they were revolutionary and more compassionate that laws in other countries and other religions. Priest of other gods required ritual human sacrifice of children. Worshipping some gods included temple prostitution. There are other things we would never consider doing today that were common among those gods.
The Jewish God of the Old Testament wrote laws of greater compassion and far less oppression and abuse of His subjects. When Jesus lived and walked the earth about 2000 years ago, His teachings were also revolutionary. He taught in ways that amazed the Jews even though they already had an amazing set of laws from an amazing God. No one ever conceived of a God willing to sacrifice Himself for His followers to be set free from slavery to sin and death.
Jesus was different. Jesus is different from us and all others. God is different. We are like God but God is not like us. God does not sin. God is never wrong. God knows the end from the beginning. God can speak to 8 billion people simultaneously, knowing every detail of their lives, past, present, and future. God makes each one feel as though they are the only one He speaks to.
Almighty God is amazing. God the Father, God the Son: Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. He is one. He knows more that we could ever understand about what we need and what we need to do. The Golden Rule was given by Jesus as an indication of how we are expected to live and relate to others. So if you don’t want them doing it to you, then don’t do it to them.