What does the Golden Rule really say about how disciples are to treat people? This devotion looks at how disciples are to respond to others.
Nuggets
- Our responses have been determined prior to the situations take place — we have to choose to respond the way in which God wants.
- The whole law is fulfilled in one word: love.
- We are to love our neighbors (i.e., everyone) because, when we do, we are imitating God.
How Are Disciples Supposed to Treat People?
It is called the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” is how it comes out a lot.
But that can be interpreted as treating others how they treat us. That sounds like, if they treat us harshly, we can treat them harshly.
It isn’t what Jesus said.
Jesus tells us to take the lead. How we treat people isn’t contingent on others. We are supposed to treat them as Jesus would regardless of their actions. Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Mt. 7: 11 NLT)
Well, the Golden Rule verse starts with the word therefore. That could either hook what is going to be said back with what has already been said or sends up a flag saying because of this or but it is different now.
If we look back at the previous verse, it is talking about how we treat our family. Jesus was pointing out that, even though we are sinful people, we still generally treat our children right.
Then Jesus turns this to our treatment of others.
How We Treat Others
“Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7: 12 CSB)
This verse is talking about reasonable, equitable treatment, but we have skewed its emphasis. Look what is first. “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you …” (Mt. 7: 12 CSB).
“Do unto others” is different than “… whatever you want others to do for you …” (Mt. 7: 12 CSB).
How we are expected to be treated is how we should treat others. Tillotson advised us to “put [ourselves] into the place and circumstances of every man with whom …” we come into contact. We sometimes say something like “walk a mile in their shoes.”
That means our responses have been determined prior to the situations taking place. We have to choose to respond the way in which God wants. It takes our reactions out of the heat of the moment.
Unfortunately, this misinterpretation of the verse leads worldview people to think disciples are hypocrites. They further skew this to read that disciples are supposed to let them treat people as they want to be treated, i.e. let them think and do whatever they want.
That definitely isn’t what Jesus said. Jesus expects us to follow God’s laws and commandments. One of His commandments is to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you …” (Mt. 28: 19-20 CSB).
God does not commanded us to let people disobey Him — we are to try to help them see His love for them. Our disciple’s job description says that our duties are to proclaim His gospel and make disciples.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Yes, how we are treated is said first, but the emphasis is put on how we treat others, not how they treat us. Moore addressed this. Others could treat us based on an agenda — they may be reacting out of selfishness or retaliation.
The Golden Rule doesn’t give us license to be selfish or retaliate — or whatever wrong way we are treated.
Good made an excellent point about equity. Equity does not mean equal because there is a diversity among mankind. Because there are differences, our duty towards them has to be different.
I had the hardest time convincing Adam’s teachers of this when he was going through the public school system. Just because everyone else could take their pencil and write their response didn’t mean Adam could or that he could do it consistently. His brain wasn’t always connected to his fingers — or it took the scenic route to get there.
It’s the Law
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal. 5: 14 ESV)
Did you catch the last of Matthew 7: 12? “… for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7: 12 CSB).
Now, go back to the verse for this section and read it again. The whole law is fulfilled in one word: love.
What is the whole law? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12: 30 CSB).
I’ve been sitting here running things through my mind. So, let’s process this.
- How we want others to treat us — We want them to treat us based on God’s laws and commandments, not by the worldview.
- We treat them that way — We treat them based on God’s laws and commandments, not by the worldview.
- How this manifests itself — We treat them with love.
- What this fulfills — We are obedient to the law.
The law is loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is sometimes hard to see that in someone else.
We see it by applying it. We apply it by loving others the way God loves us.
Manton, in Tillotson’s Wherein Lies That Exact Righteousness Which Is Required between Man and Man, stated that “love will tell us what is good for ourselves; in guiding our love to God we need many rules.” Wow!
The worldview is trying to get out of doing those rules. Manton said we need them.
Let’s be a switch hitter and take another swing at this. Tyson wrote, “The law is the interpretation of love, and the definition and prescription of that which the infinite intelligence knows that love demands.”
- We fulfill the law by showing love. But the foundation of the law is love.
- God is love (I Jn. 4: 8). So, it is all about God.
- The laws and commandments show us God’s character. It shows us love.
- We are to love our neighbors (i.e., everyone).
- When we love others, we are imitating God.
- When we are imitating God, we are on the sanctification road.
- The result of sanctification is being perfect — holy and righteous.
Did you ever think holy and righteous were — if truth be known — really unattainable? I mean, I could never do all the do’s and not do the don’ts.
God knows we aren’t going to be perfect until we get our spiritual bodies. So, we are to imitate His character — we are to love.
Ooo. I love Robinson’s definition of love. It is “desire for, delight in, and endeavour after another’s good.” Neighbor is extended to all of God’s creation, not just His children.
Making the Connections
We have to remember that love your neighbor is the second greatest commandment. Love God is first.
The first commandment should not be ignored because of the second commandment.
I see what Jesus was saying is that our character is not dependent on circumstances. Tillotson said we are to be respectful, kind, loving, compassionate, patient, and forgiving regardless of how others treat us.
Do those sound familiar? We just talked about most of those as being virtues.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We choose how we are going to respond in situations. We choose what influences our character.
Good suggested we “… carefully observe the measure by which we are to regulate our conduct towards others.” That means we can practice self-discipline.
We are also considering what we would say if a non-believer asked us about this. Here is the worksheet again. What would you tell someone about how God wants us to treat others?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
There was a great nugget in Watts and Anonymous’s The Golden Rule. It was written, “Whoever thinks about [the Golden Rule] cannot fail to see two things. His need of God’s forgiveness and God’s grace.”
Ooo, baby. Forgiveness and grace. Isn’t that exactly how we are supposed to interact with others — with forgiveness and grace?
Yes, we fall short at times. What do we need to do to increase our abilities to show forgiveness and grace?
Bottom line is we need to imitate God, not the world. We must love His way and treat others accordingly.
Loving Heavenly Father. Thank You for showing us Your character. It is our choice — and we choose — to imitate You in our interactions with our neighbors. Help us to show You to them. Help us to exhibit forgiveness and grace, showing them that those come from You. May we stand strong when doing that puts us at odds with the worldview. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
Pingback: God’s Judgment of Sin – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: How Else Are We Made in His Image? – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: What Does Made in His Image Mean? – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves? – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: The Morality of Being Just – Seeking God with Elaine