Jesus said, “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Simple. Straight forward. To the point. Act towards others the way you would like them to act towards you. The problem is that too often we turn Jesus’ words completely around. Too often we prefer to “do to others as they have already done to us.”
Notice how Jesus made no allowances for past actions? Jesus does not promises us the opportunity to “get even.” Indeed, Jesus’ words at the beginning of the passage are just as clear. “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged” (v. 1). Why is this so difficult? Why do we work so hard to get around it? Judgment belongs to God, and we are called to live by a higher standard regardless of how we have been treated. Even if the other person started it, even if the other person doesn’t follow the same rules, even if we don’t like it. “This is the law and the prophets,” Jesus tells us. This isn’t new it’s what God has been saying all along.
Is it realistic to treat others better than they treat us? Maybe not in human terms. But if we intend to live as disciples of Jesus Christ we had better take these words seriously and had better pay attention to what we are doing. Jesus is pretty clear.
Prayer: Lord, sometimes it is so difficult to live according to your word. Give us the strength to hear and to follow you in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment