The Sermon on the Plain (3) Love and The Golden Rule (Luke 6:31-34)
Jesus continues to talk about love with one of His most famous lines. It is often called, “The Golden Rule.” It is not unique to Jesus’s teaching, and fairly common-sensical. It is one of the best descriptions of philia love, not godly or “agape” love seen elsewhere in the New Testament. However, it is a version of love for our neighbors that transcends any mere human version of love. It is pretty sacrificial. “Treat others as you would be treated,” is the gist, but it is so much more than that.
It is not, “Don’t treat others as you don’t want to be treated.” That would just mean don’t be mean. This is more demanding. Nor is it, “I want to be left alone, so I am going to ignore others.” That too is too easy and not the meaning of the statement.
Instead, this statement is a call to see others as we see ourselves. Typically, we see ourselves as complex personalities living in a world of unpredictable circumstances. If we fail to live up to the standard we think we should, we tend to give ourselves some slack, and are aware of the circumstances that led to our mistakes and failings. However, we tend to see others as simple characters. Any mistakes or failings are automatically character flaws. They don’t ere, they are behaving as the bad characters they are. Jesus’s statement here is beyond this propensity to forgive others as we forgive ourselves. It is a call to treat others as rich individuals in every circumstance. Don’t just let mistakes slide. Understand their needs and preferences. Treat them as they need to be treated, in the same way you would love people to understand you and treat you as the complex personality you are.
Jesus’s three hypotheticals highlight the way that His standard is so much more demanding than the world’s. Don’t just love people who love you back. That is its own reward. Treat people who don’t know you at all, people who don’t love you, indeed, people who are antagonistic towards you, with the love of the Golden Rule. Don’t do good to those who are going to do good back anyway, do good to those who would harm you and treat you ill. Practice the Golden Rule with those who will not practice it back! Don’t help or lend only to people who will pay you back, help and give to those whom you know will not be repaying you.
It is not, “Don’t treat others as you don’t want to be treated.” That would just mean don’t be mean. This is more demanding. Nor is it, “I want to be left alone, so I am going to ignore others.” That too is too easy and not the meaning of the statement.
Instead, this statement is a call to see others as we see ourselves. Typically, we see ourselves as complex personalities living in a world of unpredictable circumstances. If we fail to live up to the standard we think we should, we tend to give ourselves some slack, and are aware of the circumstances that led to our mistakes and failings. However, we tend to see others as simple characters. Any mistakes or failings are automatically character flaws. They don’t ere, they are behaving as the bad characters they are. Jesus’s statement here is beyond this propensity to forgive others as we forgive ourselves. It is a call to treat others as rich individuals in every circumstance. Don’t just let mistakes slide. Understand their needs and preferences. Treat them as they need to be treated, in the same way you would love people to understand you and treat you as the complex personality you are.
Jesus’s three hypotheticals highlight the way that His standard is so much more demanding than the world’s. Don’t just love people who love you back. That is its own reward. Treat people who don’t know you at all, people who don’t love you, indeed, people who are antagonistic towards you, with the love of the Golden Rule. Don’t do good to those who are going to do good back anyway, do good to those who would harm you and treat you ill. Practice the Golden Rule with those who will not practice it back! Don’t help or lend only to people who will pay you back, help and give to those whom you know will not be repaying you.
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