Most likely you’ve heard of the Golden Rule. I don’t think that it’s quite as popular today as it was a half-century ago but it’s still fairly well-known. I remember my grandmother had it on a plaque that hung in her dining room. The Golden Rule was stated by Jesus. It is so simple, yet so profound, that it has lasted 2,000 years. It is found in two places, Matthew and Luke. I prefer the Luke passage myself:
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Luke 6:31 KJV
The problem with the Golden Rule today is that it has been perverted. Twisted. Hijacked. Made into something much different than it originally meant. This perversion has significantly altered the meaning and therefore, the effect, of it. Let me put the original version and the perverted version side-by-side so that you can see the difference:
Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Do unto others what they have done unto you.
Do you see the difference? It’s right there. The original version, the Jesus version, is about treating others the way that we want to be treated. It’s proactive. It’s basic principle is love. Respect. Compassion. The perverted version, however, is very different. It’s about treating people the way that they have treated us. As such, it is reactionary. It’s basic principle is payback. If people have been nice to us, then we should be nice to them. If people have been mean to us, then we should be mean to them.
Unfortunately much of our culture believes (or at least ‘lives out’) the perverted version. They keep score. They keep an eye on the competition. Or their co-worker. Or their neighbor. Or their spouse. Everything is about the other person. How are they treating us? That's part of the problem. It's selfish. Or 'me' oriented. Another part of the problem has to do with our perception of how we are being treated. So if we perceive that we have been slighted, that we have been treated unfairly, we are going to respond accordingly. And if they live by the same perverted version, then they are going to respond, in kind, to us. And we wonder why our world is in the shape it’s in?
Yes, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He gave the Golden Rule. If we would only learn to treat others the way that we want to be treated, the world would be a much better place. Sure, there is no guarantee that others are going to treat us the way that we want to be treated but that’s precisely the point. Love treats others properly. Regardless of how it is treated in return.
What we need to do is to get rid of the perverted version. We need an army of men, women, teenagers and children who are willing to restore the Jesus version to it’s place of prominence. Our world needs to see it in action. They need to experience its transforming power. It’s the only way true change is going to come.
Lord, I thank you for the incredible simplicity as well as the profoundness of the Golden Rule. May I be a part of that great army that is committed to living it out in the world on a daily basis. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Luke 6:31 KJV
The problem with the Golden Rule today is that it has been perverted. Twisted. Hijacked. Made into something much different than it originally meant. This perversion has significantly altered the meaning and therefore, the effect, of it. Let me put the original version and the perverted version side-by-side so that you can see the difference:
Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Do unto others what they have done unto you.
Do you see the difference? It’s right there. The original version, the Jesus version, is about treating others the way that we want to be treated. It’s proactive. It’s basic principle is love. Respect. Compassion. The perverted version, however, is very different. It’s about treating people the way that they have treated us. As such, it is reactionary. It’s basic principle is payback. If people have been nice to us, then we should be nice to them. If people have been mean to us, then we should be mean to them.
Unfortunately much of our culture believes (or at least ‘lives out’) the perverted version. They keep score. They keep an eye on the competition. Or their co-worker. Or their neighbor. Or their spouse. Everything is about the other person. How are they treating us? That's part of the problem. It's selfish. Or 'me' oriented. Another part of the problem has to do with our perception of how we are being treated. So if we perceive that we have been slighted, that we have been treated unfairly, we are going to respond accordingly. And if they live by the same perverted version, then they are going to respond, in kind, to us. And we wonder why our world is in the shape it’s in?
Yes, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He gave the Golden Rule. If we would only learn to treat others the way that we want to be treated, the world would be a much better place. Sure, there is no guarantee that others are going to treat us the way that we want to be treated but that’s precisely the point. Love treats others properly. Regardless of how it is treated in return.
What we need to do is to get rid of the perverted version. We need an army of men, women, teenagers and children who are willing to restore the Jesus version to it’s place of prominence. Our world needs to see it in action. They need to experience its transforming power. It’s the only way true change is going to come.
Lord, I thank you for the incredible simplicity as well as the profoundness of the Golden Rule. May I be a part of that great army that is committed to living it out in the world on a daily basis. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment