What Should I Do?

Meditation June 15, 2020

Matthew 7

12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

We have here, in this brief verse, a summation of the whole of all that Scripture has to say about the second table of the law and its application in life. Here in overwhelming simplicity and brevity Jesus answers every question regarding how we are to keep the second of the two great commandments; i.e. that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. It is quite impressive the number of ways we can interpolate that to our advantage. Knowing where we would go with that, with this verse, Jesus heads us off at the pass with a simple rule that forever closes to us the option of twisting love of others to our own advantage. “Therefore…: he says.

“Therefore…” means ‘in consequence of what has been stated, let me say this’, something of that sort; it points to a summary or conclusion. ‘Therefore’ always calls us to give attention to what has been said previously. It either applies to the immediately forgoing or to all foregoing. Commentators are divided on which v12 has as its reference. Does it refer only to what Jesus has just now said about judging or does it refer to all He has said in the sermon to this point?

Verse 12, it seems to me, marks the beginning of the conclusion or epilogue to Jesus sermon, the first of His concluding remarks. That which is said in this verse speaks to us not only respecting “the exhortation about judging and reproving; but every duty that is ours as new creatures in Christ toward man our; it is a summary, I believe, of all those duties given in the sermon. Having the agreement of John Gill and others regarding this I have some confidence in this conclusion.  Likewise, Martin Luther on this verse notes that “with those words (v12 HTM) He concludes the instructions contained in those three chapters (Matt. 5-7 HTM), and gathers them all into one little bundle.”

Living as we ought toward our fellow man is no easy task nor is it a task in which any but believers may succeed. Such is our responsibility among men in society. If we expect it of those who are not followers of Christ, we deceive ourselves. If they expect it of us, they should, and it matters not whether they do the same or not. Calling them hypocrites for pointing us out as Christians who do not practice Christian virtue toward other is not only untrue but a classic case of the very thing on our part as well as theirs that Jesus had in mind when he told us not to judge. If we are not practicing Christian virtue toward our fellowman as we ought, we should thank those who correct us regardless of the quarter from which it comes. If we are living as we ought among men, we may let it be known to them (be certain it is true) commend them for being concerned and exhort them that they too live in a similar manner. The casting about back and forth and accusations between believers and unbelievers, I feel quite certain, has more than a little justified guilt behind it.

But what does it mean to live toward others as we ought? Wherever a question may arise about how we being new creatures in Christ are to conduct ourselves toward others it may be answered by this principle: That doesn’t mean, I give approval to everything every other person wants to do. Some who cast accusations against us as not acting as Jesus would act have no idea what Jesus would do. Anyone who has ever raised or cared for a child knows you do not give approval, permission or wink at just whatever their little minds contrive to do. The same is true of adults. If I am living in a manner that is going to bring the displeasure of God down upon me; I want someone to point that out and seek to correct me. That is how would I have them treat me? That is how I should conduct myself with regard to them. We are not to deal with others, no, not even the wicked, in the way that they deal with us. Returning evil for evil is completely alien to the mind of Him turned His other cheek and when reviled did not revile in return. We are not to deal with others as they deal with us but as we would have them deal with us. If you are in error, believing a lie, would you have someone correct you? Then do so to others. If content in your error, would you prefer to be left alone in it? Then, trust me, others will quickly let you know they have no interest in the same moral standard. Do for them as you would have them do for you if you didn’t want to hear it and leave them alone.  Don’t toss holy things to the dogs.

It is not difficult to avoid contention with others on this matter. Be quiet, brush the dust off your sandals, and depart amicably. There may yet be another day. It is natural to us as new creatures to desire that all come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but it is not our calling to save them. Ours is to speak the truth, God’s word, in love. When we have done that we may rest assured we have done all that God has called us to do and that His word that we have given will not return to Him without accomplishing that to which He has sent it. If we act thus, we have done to them as we would have them do to us. The golden rule, as this has been called, here requires both that we speak and that we know when to be quiet.

J C Ryle comments that in "In this part of the sermon on the mount (Mt 7:12-20) our Lord begins to draw His discourse to a conclusion. The lessons He here enforces on our notice, are broad, general, and full of the deepest wisdom. Let us mark them in succession. He lays down a general principle for our guidance in all doubtful questions between man and man. We are ‘to do to others as we would have others do to us.’ We are not to deal with others as others deal with us. This is mere selfishness and heathenism. We are to deal with others as we would like others to deal with us. This is real Christianity. This is a golden rule indeed! It does not merely forbid all petty malice and revenge, all cheating and over-reaching. It does much more. It settles a hundred difficult points, which in a world like this are continually arising between man and man. It prevents the necessity of laying down endless little rules for our conduct in specific cases. It sweeps the whole debatable ground with one mighty principle. It shows us a balance and measure, by which every one may see at once what is his duty. Is there a thing we would not like our neighbor to do to us? Then let us always remember, that this is the thing we ought not to do to him. Is there a thing we would like him to do to us? Then this is the very thing we ought to do to him. How many intricate questions would be decided at once, if this rule were honestly used!” (J. C. Ryle. Expository Thoughts)

When Jesus sums up His teaching regarding our duties toward man with this short verse, He gives us a rule or proverb that is at once authoritative and versatile and provides a powerful means to help us decide the moral direction we should take in the myriad of issues we face. And it not only provides a rule at once absolute and flexible but it should impress upon us the reality that in Christ, having now a new character, a new me, as He has shown us in the beatitudes,  we are now able, being in Him, vine and branch, to make the right decisions; to not sin. We too often forget that and excuse ourselves saying: We are but men, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak etc. With this rule Christ reminds us that we are not just men; we are men indwelt by the Holy Spirit. God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit lives now in this temple of flesh. We are not yet not able to sin but in Christ we already able not to sin; thus Christ may give us this absolute rule flexible for every situation we face in relation to our fellow man, “in everything whatsoever you do,do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is not a rule for the ungodly whose moral statutes are necessarily without rational support. It belongs only to believers and finds its rational support in the law and the prophets, the word of God, Jesus came fulfill; not destroy. (Matt. 5:17 It is a rule for only those who meditate in God’s law day and night (Psa. 1) and who hunger and thirst after righteousness; not just any righteousness, not righteousness as they suppose righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ.

It is the same rule as God gives again by His servant Paul when He teaches us not to act out of selfish ambition; “Rather, in humility, esteem others above yourself.” Most of the difficulties we are now facing would fade away like the flowers of the field if we but followed this rule. If you go to the bottom of all those calamities that bring men to discord, injustice, wars etc., you will find selfishness in some form. Selfishness always demands too much of others and too little of self. Quite the opposite of this law that Jesus gives to us as His redeemed, adopted to be His brothers and sisters, the law of selfishness by which the world lives ‘naturally’ that rule of life that expects much of others and little of self and says, as it were, give me much, lift me up; this rule that Jesus lays down for His followers says, let me help you as I would like for you to help me, let me lift you up.

“In everything, as you would have others do for you, you do for them.”