Do Unto Others

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.- Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is an ethical and moral idea known as "the Golden Rule." It is an idea that transcends many different philosophies and religions and is sometimes even phrased negatively, such as, "Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you." It is meant to be a moral and philosophical way of living peacefully and harmoniously with other people. The general idea is that I would treat others with kindness, fairness, grace, and goodness because that is how I would like to be treated. It's an old idea. It is so old, in fact, that Jesus was repeating it when He said it a couple thousand years ago. Yet, in a basic philosophy class, you're likely to hear the professor tell you that the Golden Rule isn't a good rule. That it's flawed and, in many ways, doesn't work as a moral framework. It doesn't work because it assumes that we all want to be treated well, but what about someone who doesn't value love and harmony?

It's a fair point and is likely true. There are all kinds of different people all over the world, with different religions and customs. If equally applied, a society whose values differ greatly from our own might apply the rule in a way we would disagree with. For example, in Islamic societies, women's roles vary significantly from those in Christian societies. An Islamic man demanding that his wife wear a full burka may very well be applying the Golden Rule. In his mind, he is following the Koran, and therefore, if he were a woman, this is how he would want to be treated. For a man in an Islamic society, a woman's place in society and the clothing she wears is a dictate from God. Hence, the Golden Rule looks much different than it would to say, a Christian family living in California. So then, if educated philosophers are correct and the Golden Rule is indeed flawed, why would Jesus say it? Did He misspeak? Should we try to alter His words to make them correct?

Jesus often said things that were not new ideas, but most of the time, there was something a little different and deeper when He said it. One of His favorite ways to introduce a "new take" on an old idea was to start by saying, "You've heard that it was said that…" and then He would follow it up with, "But I tell you…"

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.- Matthew 5:38-39

Though Jesus doesn’t start by saying, “You have heard that it was said,” He’s using an old idea to introduce right thinking and living in a new way. Part of the key to what Jesus was driving at lies in the rest of the verse in Matthew 7:12. “…for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Yet, if the idea is flawed, how does it sum up the law and prophets? The other piece of the puzzle can be found later in Matthew in chapter 22.

 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”- Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

Jesus says that the law and the prophets hang on love. First, love of the Lord God, and second, love for our neighbors. When Jesus cites the Golden Rule, He isn’t offering a flimsy platitude or a flawed moral code; He’s offering a simple way to understand our entire purpose: Love. We are here to love God with everything we are and to love the other people around us. Those of us who follow Him live according to those commands, so Jesus is delivering the Golden Rule to those who follow Him. In the absence of Jesus and the salvation He gives us, then yes, the Golden Rule is flawed and can be misapplied. But His command isn’t given in His absence. It is given by Him and through Him. As a follower of Christ, I want to love and be loved; therefore, I am commanded to love others. But I cannot know love without first knowing God, for God is love. There is no love without Him. One commandment follows the other. First, love God, then love others.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.- 1 John 4:8

The Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is given by Jesus to His followers. It is a perfect rule for those who seek love. Without Jesus, the Golden Rule may be a nice idea, but it is flawed. Without Jesus, the rule is no better than any other rule. But with Jesus, the Golden Rule is exactly how we’re meant to live. Your philosophy professor is missing the most important piece. The only piece of the puzzle that matters at all. Jesus is always the answer. Don’t take Him out of the equation.

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