This is the law and the prophets.”
The “Golden Rule,” as found in the Gospel of Matthew, follows immediately after Jesus’s reassurance of God’s ready, superabundant generosity:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
The scriptures from ancient times insist upon God’s boundless kindness to his Chosen People. Without their asking, God befriended Abraham; protected Isaac; and guided Jacob’s tribe from Canaan to Egypt. Long after the people had forgotten to expect anything of the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to lead them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, which was:
...a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.
In return the Lord asks only complete obedience to his Spirit and Law, which includes the challenging, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.”
This “rule” is not unfamiliar to anyone. We were told as children, “Don’t do to others what you would not have them do to you!” Millions of mothers have said to their aggressive children, “You don’t like it when other kids hit you or take your toys! So don’t hit them and take their toys!”
The teaching is enshrined in the Book of Tobit (4:15), “Do to no one what you yourself hate.” And it’s found in the sacred texts of many world religions.
But Jesus’s teaching does more than restrain our selfish impulses; it guides our freedom. If you would be free as God is free, this is what you do. As Jesus says, “This is the law and the prophets.” Everything that God has been saying to us these many centuries; the freedom God would give us; the joy and satisfaction for which we were made: it’s there in this simple formula.
“Do to others…” is remarkable for it places the initiative of freedom in our hands. By acting we set ourselves free, which is the only way it can happen. When we do to others, we’re not reacting but responding out of our own initiative to God’s mercy. We see what must be done and act accordingly.
The only proviso I might add is, “When I consider how I would have others do to me, I realize I want them to consider my real needs and real desires. I don’t want a gift that someone else thinks I should want. We all get free junk from people who are discarding theirs! No thanks!
And so, when I do to others, I will consider what they might actually want. I might even ask them! And act accordingly, out of the freedom of God’s gracious benevolence.
This Golden Rule invites us to put ourselves at the service of others. With the Lord’s curiosity we ask, “What do you want?” We ask, “How might I help you?” and “What can I do for you?” The Golden Rule teaches us to act with the courtesy that we naturally expect of others. It is as simple and as familiar as that, and as beautiful as the Resurrection.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.