The
concept of The Golden Rule—treat others as you would like to be treated—appears
in many religions. So what makes Jesus’ version of the saying so exceptional?
Its
uniqueness lies in a single word, “therefore,” that signals the generosity of
our heavenly Father. Here is what Jesus said: “If you then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is
in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want
men to do to you, do also to them” (Matt. 7:11-12 italics added).
All of
us fall short of what we know to be true: We do not love others the way God
loves us. Jesus lived out that admirable ethic with perfect love by living and
dying for all our sins.
We
have a loving, giving Father who set aside His own self-interest to reveal the
full measure of His love through His Son Jesus. God’s generosity is the dynamic
by which we treat others as we would like to be treated. We love and give to
others because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Our heavenly Father asks us to live up to His commands, but He also gives us His power and love to carry it out. We need only to ask Him for it.
We have committed The Golden Rule to memory; now let us commit it to life. —E. Markham (RBC)
