The challenge of the golden rule

Rusty Wirt, the senior pastor at Concord Church, where I am on staff, preached a wonderful sermon last Sunday about the golden rule.

He shared Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12, NLT)

Rusty explained that there are two Greek words that can be translated “others.” The first means, “one of the same kind;” the additional means merely, “another human being.”

In the golden rule, Jesus used the second. He was saying, we are to treat even those who are different from us the way we want to be treated.

It is challenging to be good to those who are like us, and far more difficult to be kind, generous and understanding when others are different than we are.

In fact, this is a variation of something Jesus said earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44, NIV)

At a time when our culture proclaims tolerance and diversity, but is increasingly intolerant, people with diverse opinions regularly yell at one another instead of listening to each other.

We need to embrace Jesus’ challenge now more than ever.

The ultimate test of our character is not how we respond to those who agree with us, but how we treat those who are impatient with us or who have ideas with which we disagree.

This is especially true if they attack our values or are unkind to us.

Being disrespectful to those who disrespect us is natural, but Jesus made clear that it is not God’s way.

While treating those who despise us with distain may feel right, it is not. Refusing to write off those who frustrate us is anything but easy while obeying Jesus has surprising power.

Robert E. Lee has fallen out of favor. He is on the wrong side of history when it comes to slavery.

However, a story from his life illustrates what Jesus wants us to learn.

When Lee was called to testify at the trial of a man known to be his enemy, he shocked the courtroom by saying kind things about the defendant.

The prosecutor protested, “But don’t you know what he has said about you?”

Lee acknowledged that he did, but then replied, “You asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me.”

While it is tempting to write off those who frustrate you and me, Jesus invites us to accept the challenge of the golden rule.

Tim Richards grew up in Fairdealing and previously served as associate pastor of Pilgrim’s Rest Church there. He currently serves as a pastor on the staff of Concord Church in South County St. Louis.