THE GOLDEN RULE
Matthew 7:1-12
Key Verse: 12
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
In today’s passage, Jesus teaches us how to have a healthy relationship with others. We all have a sinful tendency to pass quick and critical judgment on others. We Christians are called to establish a loving and serving Christian community, obeying Jesus’new command, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). In order to love one another, we must forgive others’ sins and bear their weaknesses as Jesus has done for us. It was because what we sinners need most is not some expensive gifts but forgiveness. In verses 1-5, Jesus points out what is detrimental and unprofitable to have a healthy relationship with others and to establish a Christian community. However, in verse 6, he cautions us to discern between receptive listeners and hardened rejecters. In verses 7-11, Jesus asks us to put our efforts in the practice of persistent prayer. And in verse 12, he concludes with the “golden rule” to tie together today’s passage and to guides us in our relationship with others.
I. Do not judge (1-6)
Look at verse 1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” This verse can be easily misunderstood and misinterpreted. When Jesus said,“Do not judge...” he did not mean that we should turn a blind eye to every fault and mistake we see. Without constructive criticism, no person or no society can improveandgrow mature. Jesus pointed out disciples’ problems and sins with his genuine love to grow them as mature and godly leaders. Once, Jesus rebuked Peter harshly saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns,”when Peter pleaded with Jesus not to go through the way of the cross (Mt 16:23).
When Jesus says, “Do not judge,” it means to not condemn others as though we are in the place of God.We condemn others when we find other’s weakness or mistakes or sins. Perhaps, those who condemn others may correctly know others’ faults, but have no room to understand and love others. They have very cold keen eyes to see others’ sins and faults. But they have no warm heart to understand and embrace others. They also do not know how deeply their condemnation hurts others. Usually those who judge others have no friend because their judgmental spirit breakstheir relationship with others. They become lonely and suffer a lot from a broken relationship with others. But people gather around those who have love and forgiveness. For example, numerous people flocked around Jesus because of his compassionate love and forgiveness. Jesus understood sinners who were so weak and helpless, forgave them and helped them to overcome their weaknesses and sins. He also gave them time and chance to be changed believing that the power of God could change them and sanctify them.
Condemning spirit never builds others up, but tears them down. It breeds bitterness, vengeance in the hearts of the condemned. It damages our spirit and personality. It destroys our family lives as well as our Christian fellowship. But many people judge othershabitually. There is an interesting story. A thoughtful and loving wife tried very hard to please her critical husband, but failedconstantly. The husband was particularly critical at breakfast. If she cooked poached eggs for breakfast, he wanted them scrambled. If she cooked scrambled eggs, he wanted them poached. One morning with her brilliant idea, she poached one egg and scrambled the other and placed the plate before him and expected no criticism from him. But he looked at her and said, “Can’t you do anything right, woman?You’ve scrambled the wrong one!” That morning she was deeply hurt because of his habitual criticism.
Actually we can trace man’s condemning spirit all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Right after the fall, Adam condemned his wife, by saying, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Gen 3:12). Adam blamed and condemned his wife and ultimately God who created the woman for him. When we judge others, we despise God’s gracious forgiveness and unfailing love for them and for all sinners. Through the parable of the unmerciful servant Jesus taught us to stop judging others and to be merciful to others as God was merciful to us. In that parable, a man owed a king a great deal of money. And that king who understood that the man could not pay his debt, had pity on him and cancelled it and let him go. On the way back home, the man met his debtor who owed him a tiny bit of money. Then he harshly treated the debtor and demanded him to pay back. And when the king found out about it, he was enraged and threw the man in prison. Likewise, condemning others is the very sign that we ourselves have not adequately appreciated how the Lord has spared us from the judgment that we deserve. We Christians believe the gospel of God’s love and forgiveness. We must see others’ strengths and great talents but forgive their weaknesses and sins so that we may build up others and our church.
Look at verses 3-4. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”I saw the speck of sawdust in the eye, but never saw the plank in the eye. It is Jesus’ allegorical teaching that those who judge others do not see their wrongdoings which are far worse and critical. The point is that before judging and criticising others, we must take a look at our sins and wrongdoings and remove them first while doing nothing about the plank in their eyes. But in our sinful tendency, we want to remove others small mistakes and faults first. It is our spiritual ignorance and pride. Thomas Talmage said, “Without exception, the people who have the greatest number of faults are themselves the most merciless in their criticism of others. They spend their lives looking for something lowly rather than something lofty.” Jesus calls such a person a hypocrite and commands him to take the plank out of his eyes first (5). Taking the plank out of our eyes is easy, but taking the speck of sawdust out of another’s eye is not easy. If we carelessly try to take the speck out of another’s eye, we may damage the eye or make the person blind. In reality, Fanny Crosby became blind after a quack doctor treated her carelessly and ignorantly. In the same way, we must be careful and prayerful when we deal with others’ faults and sins. In other words, we must come to others with God’s heart, forgiveness andpatience to build them up. That is why the gospel Luke records “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,” prior to the phrase, “Do not judge, and your will not be judged” (Lk 6:36-37). Let us learn and have God’s mercy prior to judging others.
Look at verse 6: “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”So far, Jesus strongly urged us not to judge. But in this verse Jesus turns right around and tells us to make some very harsh judgment. Here dogs and pigs undoubtedly refer to certain people. Jesus often compares his followers as sheep. Dogs and pigs are those who despise the gospel and give bad influences to others. Although we should not judge, we must discern because not everyone is a sheep.Dogs and pigs don’t want the sacred things or pearls. They just want dog food or pig food. We need spiritual discernment to see dogs and pigs from sheep and do not waste our time arguing with them. During thePassion Week, Jesus was tossed here and there and tried by sinful men. When Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, Herod was greatly pleased because he had heard many things about Jesus and hoped to see some miracles done by Jesus. Then he questioned with Jesus in many words, but Jesus gave him no answer and became silent.Then Herod became mad and showed his true color. He mocked Jesus and treated him shamefully. Like Jesus we need spiritual discernment so that we can give the sacred and pearly treasure to those who recognize its value. In practice, however, it is not easy to discern them clearly. It is also not easy to understand, forgive and love others. We are quick to be judgmental and unforgiving. Let us turn our eyes from seeing others’ faults to our wrongdoings and sins, and more than that, let us turn our eyes to Jesus who sees our heart and grow like Jesus who gave his life to sinners.
II. Ask, seek, knock (7-11)
Look at verses 7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”These verses are well known. Countless people in history memorized it, quoted it, and practiced it. The words, “ask,”“seek,”“knock,” mean to pray persistently, sincerely and earnestly without ceasing. It means not only to ask with words, but also in our actions and deeds. Asking implies recognition of our need before God and humbly requesting to him. Seeking is asking and acting. Knocking is asking, plus acting, plus persevering. The words “Ask, seek, knock”are present tense. But in the original Greek Bible, they are written as “keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Jesus wants his people to pray with continual action. We must ask, seek knock and persist. The phrases “...it will be given,”“...you will find,” and “...the door will be opened to you,” are future perfect tense. This means that if we keep praying, God will surely answer our prayers in his right time.
Verses 9-11 tell us about our Father God to whom we pray. Our prayer is not just babbling like pagans who have no relationship with God. But our prayer expresses the intimate love relationship we have with our Father God. When we pray, we need to know who God is. Jesus teaches us by comparing our heavenly Father to human fathers. If a hungry son asks his father for a sandwich, who would give him a rock? If a hungry son asks his father for a fish, who would give him a rattlesnake? Even though human fathers are evil, they know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more will our Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Our Father in heaven hears our prayer and is ready to answer. Our Father in heaven is good. He is willing to give good things freely to his children. God loves us so much that he freely sent his one and only Son Jesus as our ransom sacrifice. He gives us eternal life freely. He gives us the kingdom of God freely. How much more will he give us what we need in order to help others? Paul said, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—howwill he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”(Ro 8:32) He is the source of wisdom, compassion, love, understanding, material things, and everything we need to help others in a way that bears good fruit.
In verse 12, Jesus summarizes this passage about how to help others. He says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” This is the “golden rule.” It is most valuable to consider in terms of ethics in helping others. So Jesus said it sums up the Law and the Prophets, which is the entire Bible. In Matthew 22:37-38, Jesus gave the greatest commandment, saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...And love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” So people take this greatest command very seriously. According to Jesus in verse 12, the “golden rule” is equally as important as the greatest commandment.
The golden rule is found in one form or another in a variety of religions. Most of the time, it is stated in the negative. The great Jewish Rabbi Hillel said, “Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” In contrast, Jesus’ teaching is very positive. When we discover what we would like others to do for us, we should take the initiative and do it for them first. We all want to be loved by others. We desire real respect from others. We need others’ understanding and forgiveness. And most of us crave recognition. Do you want to be recognized by others? Then recognize others. Do you want to be understood and forgiven? Then understand and forgive others. Do you want to be loved and respected? Then love and respect others. If we understand, respect, recognize, forgive and love others, then we will also be understood, respected, forgiven, and loved by others. It is like an echo. If we shout at the top of the mountain “I understand you. I forgive you. I respect you. I love you,” then these words will come back to our own ears. Actually we cannot do this with our own strength. We need the strength and wisdom that come from God through prayer.
If we practice this golden rule our lives will be greatly changed and we will have true joy and happiness. We will grow in the image of our Father God, who practiced this golden rule. When we were enslaved by the power of sin and death, God did not condemn us. Rather, he understood, forgave, and restored us by sending his one and only Son Jesus Christ. Jesus bore all our weaknesses, forgave all our sins, and gave us eternal life in his kingdom. Remembering Jesus’ grace, let us grow to be people of grace and practice the golden rule. May God enable us to love and forgive others and establish a community of Christ’s love.