Title Why the Golden Rule?
Contents
Why the Golden Rule?
Text/ Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:40
1. Introduction / Gold is a symbol of supreme value. 100 silver medals won't win a gold medal. Fountain pens, watches, tie pins, etc. are also the most expensive and the best ones are made of gold, and the best Sonata cars are Sonata Gold. Even in the Bible, he said that the walls and roads of the kingdom of heaven, which are built in the new heaven and new earth, which are the highest reward that we believers receive, are also made of gold. There are 613 commandments in the Bible. There are also many commandments that Jesus spoke of. Among them, “Therefore, in whatever way you would like others to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This phrase is called the Golden Rule. Among the many commandments in the Bible, why is this verse called the supreme commandment?
2. Find the clue
The first clue can be found in the fact that the second half of Matthew 7:12 and Matthew 22:40 are the same. “This is the Law and the Prophets” and “The whole Law and the Prophets” There is no such expression in Matthew except in these two places. Therefore, these two words are thought to be deeply connected inwardly.
The second clue is in the words of Matthew 22:39, “It is like that”. We often overlook the phrase “like him” in the text, but these words are like the eyes of a dragon. (This discovery gave me a very fresh perspective!) is it? It is the same as the previous words, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. These two commandments, love of God and love of neighbor, seem to be two in words, but they are not two but one. To give an analogy, if you explain the ancient Roman coin of a denarius, it is simple if you show the reality of the coin. It's like being one.
The third clue lies in the fact that in the texts of Matthew 7 and Matthew 22, the subject and the other are clearly revealed. First, in Matthew 7:12, He said that if I want to be treated by others, I must treat others first. Here is me and others. In Matthew 22:33-40, there is me, God, and me and my neighbor. There is a subject called me and an object called God and neighbor. It shows that people are beings who have a relationship between you and me. Nevertheless, the existence of a person is me, you are others. No one else but me is a man. Other than me, God is definitely someone else. That is why God is sometimes called the absolute Other.
Through these three clues, as we have previously thought, this saying, “Treat others as you would like them to be treated,” applies not only to the relationship between people, but also to the relationship between people and God. Like him!” is to realize the fact that
3. The relationship between me and God in Matthew 7:12
“Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me I will despise. 1 Samuel 2:30, ‘Because he loves me, I will deliver him, and I will exalt him because he knows my name. Psalm 91:14-16 >, <I love those who love me, and those who seek me earnestly find me. Proverbs 8:17 >.
What is the conclusion of the above? “Therefore, in whatever way you would like God to do to you, do ye also do to God”, isn’t it? (See Romans 1:18-23).
4. The relationship between me and people in Matthew 7:12
This is an issue we are all too familiar with. We all want to be treated. In other words, they want recognition. In fact, it feels good to be treated. It's not just me that's good, it's you too. But the problem is that I have to come first, not my brother first. We always think this way. “I am a well-educated, polite, courteous person. You treat me first! Then I'm the one who can pay you back twice or even three times what you treat me to! Am I crazy when you don't treat me? What am I your servant?” Called. That is why we live our lives without being treated or treated. Then it would be nice to end it, but in reality it is not, and there are all human conflicts and sufferings. Because, nevertheless, “I am the only exception, but I must be treated! We all have a heart. That's why he said, "Therefore, whatever you want others to do to you, do to them!"
5. Seen in this way, the words of Matthew 7:12 seem to be two, but in essence, they are the same as the master key that penetrates the greatest commandment that can be said to be one, so it is the highest commandment, the Golden Rule. that is called