Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the
law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 NLT
Oh, what an easy thing to say, and seemingly impossible to follow through with. Think about it…there were times when Jesus called people names. A good example of this is when Jesus called the Pharisees “sons of vipers” (Matthew 23:33), “brood of snakes” (Matthew 12:34), and “white-washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). Another time He used a whip that He handmade and used to whip people out of the temple. He must have been okay with others doing the same to Him or He would not have done these things to others. Strange to think that Jesus was called names and also whipped. This makes me think about what Jesus said to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Peter…put your sword away… Those who use the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).
Do to others what you would like them to do to you.
Now as to whether or not Jesus would say it differently today…I don’t want to open the door of someone thinking that I think Jesus made a mistake here. That’s not my point. I am thinking that maybe Jesus, if He were living in today’s culture, wouldn’t use the Golden Rule, as tweeted above, as much as He might have used what I would call The Platinum Rule. I think the Platinum Rule, if spoken by Jesus, would read, “Do to others what I have done and will do for you.”
Out of the mouth of Jesus, this statement is a game changer. The Platinum Rule seems to squelch all possible neglect and abuse from the speaker of the rule.
The Platinum Rule makes the following comment from Jesus pop! “There is no greater love than this…He who lays down his life for another” (John 15:13). He commands us to give, share, reward, encourage, hold accountable, and even die for each other. These would be things that Jesus did for all of us. These are things that fit the Golden Rule also. Do to others as you would have done to yourself.
If Jesus actually tweeted this to you today: “Do to others what you would like others to do to you,” and you knew it was directly from Jesus, how would you live your life today? Think about the free gifts that Jesus gave you: hope, joy, forgiveness, purpose, etc. Would you give these to others today? And then tomorrow as well? And then…
Spend a few moments and meditate on that.Think about what you should do today in regards to the Golden Rule.
Think about your day and what’s coming. Who do you know that you will encounter today? Make a decision right now to treat them like you would like to be treated. Be prepared. Don’t be caught off guard.
I hope as you live your day that you will dwell on this Golden tweet. Do to others what you would like done to you. If that passage makes you feel guilty about selfish decisions in your past…then ask God and the people you have offended for forgiveness, and move on with your life. Do not let the guilt from your past cripple your present and future. Today and tomorrow are more important than your past.
It’s crazy to think that the Golden Rule sums up the Law and Prophets as the tweet says. The law and prophets include way too many things to actually remember. There are 613 Old Laws from the Old Testament and then all the things the prophets said. Jesus gives us the cliff ’s notes to the Law and Prophets! I like how Jesus thinks. “Do to others what I would like to have done to me.” Jesus had a way about Him in keeping things simple.
So, be like Jesus, and keep it simple. When we start treating others the way we don’t want to be treated…things get complicated.
Focus on this tweet today: Do to others what you would like to have done to you.
It will impact and change how you live each moment. How incredible would it be if you could remember this tweet all day, every minute?
Practice makes permanent.
The above post is from my book Retweeting Jesus, Pages 103-105.
You would like to purchase the entire book, it releases publicly on July 2nd, 2013 at Amazon.com or tatepublishing.com. If you don’t want to wait until July 2nd, I have some books at home and will ship them to you. 14.99 plus 2.92 shipping. Contact me via my email… [email protected]