Title: Golden Rule/Matthew 7:12
The Golden Rule of the Sermon on the Mount, which is called the Everest of ethical lessons or the pinnacle of social ethics, is found in Matthew 7:12. There were those who spoke similar words to the word of the Lord. The Jewish rabbi Hillel told his followers, "Don't let your friends do what you don't like. This is the whole of the law, everything else is explanation. Go and learn." In a book called Tobit, written three centuries before the birth of the Lord, the hero of the book said to his son: "Don't let others do what you hate yourself." Philo also said, 'Do not do to others what you do not want to do to others' and in the Analects also said, 'Do not do to others what I do not want you to do to others.' Note that all of these lessons are negative. But the Lord affirmed the same truth. 'In whatever way you would like others to treat you, treat others as well.' Ultimately, it means to treat others as if they were your own. These words of the Lord have never been said before, and they are very unique and sublime new lessons, a new outlook on life, and a new duty.
I. Rules that can't be done
The golden rule is a rule that is difficult for normal humans to follow. It is highly likely to keep this as a negative expression. Because the center of negative laws is always 'self'. Such a person is one who can train himself without harming others. He may stop at a stop sign. You can pay your bills and obey the law. Prejudice behavior can be avoided in order not to alienate others. He wants peace but can work to satisfy his selfish needs and demands. In C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, such a person is said to be an honest payer of his or her taxes. But he is the one who leaves enough for himself to live. All this is true because it builds from scratch the old self, the natural self.
But the person who expresses this in a positive way makes it clear what he cannot do. He says he can't because he doesn't stand up for himself from the start. The law tells us what we shouldn't do. But the Lord Jesus Christ tells us what to do. But the one who can do what Jesus said is the one who gives himself completely to his heart and fixes everything on the needs, cares, love, joy, hopes, dreams of others. Those who have not been born again of water and the Spirit cannot do this.
II. The rules curse.
The law judges and curses everything. A rule like the golden rule is a closed caption that measures human life. Matthew 7:12 is God's golden caption in this sense. Paul teaches us the purpose of the law in Romans. “Therefore, by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him, by the law the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
In the kindergarten classroom, the teacher gave each child a blank sheet of paper and had them draw a straight line in the middle of the blank sheet. The students made a fuss and drew a straight line. Some children tore the paper because they made a mistake, and others boasted. Then the teacher drew a second line on the paper drawn by the children with a long captioning. Compared to the straight line drawn by the teacher, even the child who drew the most confidently drew waves inappropriately.
This is human morality. People draw a line according to their character. Compare it to the line drawn with a straight ruler. There are people who say that I am straighter or morally cleaner than you. However, if you look at God's subtitles, you will find that all the lines drawn by humans are crooked.
If human beings can keep the golden rule...if, really, they can keep it...he enters the kingdom of heaven and says to God, "Get out of your seat, let me sit on the throne with you. I have kept everything. Therefore, like God, I am perfect.”
If a man can keep this rule, he will possess the kingdom of heaven. However, if you cannot keep this rule and you cannot keep this rule on your own, you will have lost humanity and will be judged without reaching the glory of God. God came to save these people. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make man righteous and gave him a new life that pleases God.
III. new person
This is the essence of the gospel. To obey the golden rule, you have to become a new person. As long as we remain in our sins, God does not save us. He saved us to make us like Jesus. Only that person can keep the golden rule. Our Lord did not give these words to you and I to comment on the Sermon on the Mount. He was given to live according to these words.
If the golden rule is something we cannot keep, how can we live according to the Sermon on the Mount? When God converted you, He created you anew and gave you new life to eat and grow with the Spirit of God so that you can keep these words.
There are many commandments for Christians in the Bible. For example, "Therefore, brethren, in the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Let us discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). If we were to deal with these words as natural persons, we would have nothing but to say that we could not. However, if we receive this word as a Christian who has the life of God in us, it will become a word that we can also achieve. The Spirit of God will encourage us to continue doing it.
'Therefore, whatever you want others to do to you, treat them to you as well.' Here, in our conception of hospitality, it is easy to think mainly of food. In fact, it is better to translate it as 'Do to others what you want them to do'. Actually, the problem with this verse is prayer. In the relationship with God that says 'Ask, seek, and knock', live with a religious attitude and 'Treat others as you would like them to be treated', that is, you should treat others with an attitude of prayer to God.
The standard of hospitality here is to serve as the standard of the desire of a person who has the image of God in his relationship with God. It is also a matter of method rather than a matter of motive or purpose. If you give it to your motive, you will treat it because you want to be treated, and you will give it because you want it. However, the treatment that one wants to be treated is not the right treatment. Others help others for their own enjoyment. This is a high sin. It means 'to do to him whatever you want him to do to you'. It's not about wanting the other person to do something for me, it's about how I want to do something for him.
So, what do we 'want' from others? First of all, I want everyone to forgive me. Then, I have to forgive others first. Also, I want people to praise my modest strengths. Then I should praise others first. Do you want to be respected, respect others? Do I want a true friend? When I become a true friend, the problem is solved.
I want to change my desire to be treated and change my heart to be treated. to deny myself. This is the life of the cross. The golden rule is the sum of all precepts and moral laws. Therefore, if you keep this one well, you will be keeping all the other precepts, so it is called the golden rule.