Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 WEB

In chapters five through seven of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives his famous Sermon on the Mount. Our scripture is a portion of that sermon. Here, Jesus teaches what we now know as the Golden Rule. In essence, Christ teaches us to treat others the way we want them to treat us. This is not a new concept even in the time of Christ but it is given in a different perspective. 

While many Jews and Gentiles alike taught the prohibition of negative acts committed against others, Christ teaches this lesson with an emphasis on the positive. Greeks and Jews often taught that individuals should not do to others what they would not want done to themselves. This is the law of “do no harm” and rightly encourages people to not commit evil acts  

Love One Another

Interestingly, Jesus’ teaching takes this concept a step further. Christ commands each of us to love one another. As we read in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. WEB” To express this love in a positive sense, Jesus teaches the Golden Rule. This is the law, God expects that we actively do to others what we would desire for ourselves. The principle explains the will of God for our behavior.

Jesus further clarifies the positive implementation of the law in chapter twenty-two of Matthew’s gospel. When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus responded in Matthew 22:37-40, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. WEB”

Yesterday’s Devotional: Is It Lawful?