Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

Here we have what many call “The Golden Rule”. Well, not exactly. When I was growing up, it was said something like this, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It might just be me, but that version suggests that my motivation to treat others well is the preservation of my own well-being. I don’t believe that is what Jesus is trying to say.

This passage actually gives us two humble and unselfish motivations for taking the initiative to do good to others. Both are very different from “what’s in it for me”. We discover the first by way of the “therefore”.

Looking back at the context of the previous verses, we see that God is always the giver of good gifts. Our response to His goodness is to be good to others. It is one of the best ways to bear His image, for His glory.

Our second motivation is found in the closing preposition, “for this is the Law and the Prophets”. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus makes it clear that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Furthermore, Romans 8:3-4 states:

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

God sent Jesus to condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us (see Truth Connections – Fulfilling the Law for more on this subject). As the Father sent His Son, so also His Son sends us (John 20:21).

Amazingly, blessing others as God has blessed us is one of the ways we participate with Jesus in the work our Father sent Him to accomplish.

Now that is the kind of motivation we can get excited about!!

Humbly yours and forever His,

Rob

#iamjustthepen