Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Feb/79

Contributor - Jon Van Oostveen

Title - Living By The Golden Rule

Topic - Meditation

"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do to them; for this is the law and the prophets." (MATTHEW 7:12)

As Christians we have the responsibility to let the words of Jesus Christ permeate our hearts and lives for they are the guiding principles for the abundant life which we may live here in this world. Only when we take seriously Christ's teachings can we hope to experience the changes which he sought to bring about in the lives of his disciples.

The words quoted from Matthew 7: 12 have been called the Golden Rule. It has been said that only "the Golden Rule can bring the golden age." The Golden Rule is the golden key to this golden age of creative, positive human relationships and brotherhood. The guiding principle is contained in Matthew 7:12, and if followed truly by all people, it would solve and settle many difficult social problems and human relationships in our world today.

These words are among some of the greatest words in all of the Bible. It is not only a summary statement of all that Jesus said about our treatment of our fellow men, but it is emphasized and purposely stated that this covers all that the law and the prophets taught about this matter.

In these few words our Lord gives to us a great guiding principle which would settle a hundred different points of difference which constantly crop up to upset human relationships.

This great Golden Rule calls for action on the second of the greatest commandments, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

The critics of Jesus have collected the great sayings of other religious leaders and have drawn the conclusion that Jesus really made no distinctive contribution in this Golden Rule.

Hillel, the great Hebrew teacher, said, "Do not do to your neighbour what is hateful to yourself."

Socrates, the Greek philosopher said, "What stirs your anger when done to you by others, that do not to others." .

Aristotle said, "We should bear ourselves toward others as we Would desire they should bear themselves toward us."

Confusius, we should not forget him this great Chinese teacher, gave what someone has called the Silver Rule. He said, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."

However, there is one radical difference between the Golden Rule presented to his followers by Jesus and the other statements made by some of the world's great teachers. The Golden Rule of Jesus is positive and active while their statements are negative and passive. While they would say, "Stand still, do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you," Jesus approaches the matter from a positive and creative standpoint. He says that we should "Go and do what we would have others do to us."

The Golden Rule is positive and therefore much more difficult to realize in our lives and therefore also much more difficult to remember. It emphasizes the necessity for placing ourselves in the situation of our fellow man. As Christians we are to have full sympathy for each other. We are not concerned here with the matter of doing good in order to be rewarded for it. Then it sounds as if doing good is with a purpose of receiving something in return. Nowhere in the Bible are such morals taught. "You shall treat you fellow man in such a way, as you want to be treated yourself." That is God's will. We cannot take anything away from this statement nor add anything to it.

Only a Christian can truly live by the principle of the Golden Rule. While someone may say, "The Golden Rule is may religion," he cannot be telling the truth unless he knows the Christ who gave the Golden Rule as the Lord of his heart and mind and action.

Only the person who has experienced the love of God as it is revealed in Jesus Christ can truly love his brother and sister and neighbour as himself.

May God give to each follower of Christ Jesus the grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the support which we need to live by the Golden Rule and so experience the brotherhood and fellowship of the Church of Jesus Christ.

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