One of Jesus’ best known statements is found in Matthew 7.12. She is so famous that many have given her a name. It’s called the * »Golden Rule. »*
Let’s see what it consists of.
* »Whatever you want men to do to you, do it also for them; for it is the Law and the Prophets. »* (Matthew 7:12)
The negative form of this sentence was already well known. It could be formulated as follows: * »Whatever you don’t want to be done to you, don’t do it to others either. »*
There is, however, a significant difference between the Golden Rule and its negative form.
Jesus’ teaching is expressed positively by asking us to *do something*.
The negative form recommends that *we refrain from doing something* and therefore has a much narrower scope.
The man of the world, if he wishes to adopt a certain morality, will probably agree to follow the idea conveyed by the negative form.
The moral sense of natural man will be satisfied with such a precept. He will not seek to go beyond what should not be done.
But a much wider horizon awaits the Christian.
*It is no longer enough to abstain from evil. Jesus asks us to do all the good possible.* This is much more demanding. The Christian life inspires us to go out to meet people and take the initiative to do good.
So therefore, this golden rule teaches us that we should rather *wish and do to others all the good that we would like them to do us* and their *avoid to others all the harm that we would not want them make us*.
PRAYER:
Lord our God, give us the wisdom and the courage to always do to others everything we want them to do to us and avoid them everything we would not want them to do to us.
It is in the precious name of your son Jesus Christ that we pray.
Amen.
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