Articles
Do Unto Others
Jesus Says . . .
Do unto Others as You Would Have Them Do to You
The exact quotation from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is this: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12). This short, pithy statement became known as the Golden Rule because of its central role in Christian ethics.
There was a time when the Golden Rule defined the conduct of most citizens toward each other throughout America. In my youth, my family never locked the door of our house when we went out; we made sure the screen door was closed to keep out the flies, but we never worried about our neighbors entering our house to steal our belongings. To illustrate how neighbors acted toward one another, I spent three weeks in a hospital in Texas when I was twelve years old. The neighbors in our community pooled their donations and covered almost all my parents’ hospital bill. That was America in 1959!
Today, I see a different ethic in America. Our politicians are constantly showing disrespect for each other. We should not be troubled that they disagree with each other, but we should hold them accountable to act with civility toward each another. America has become a whole lot worse than merely being impolite. In 2021, Indianapolis had 249 criminal homicides; Chicago had 797.
If a person changes lanes and almost hits another car (almost all of us have done this at one time or another), the endangered person is likely to be mouthing or making vulgar gestures at the one who got in his way when he passes by.
Foul language is not uncommon in how our children speak to each other. Conflicts between kids sometimes get so vicious that bodily injury or even death occurs. The way children mistreat each other in junior high and high school through bullying sometimes results in the child committing suicide!
And, how do we act in our own homes? The Golden Rule is broken when the husband has an affair with his colleague at work or the wife meets her boss for a tryst at a motel. Four-letter-word shouting matches do incredible damage to a marriage relationship and physical abuse of one’s mate and children often culminates in divorce, or worse.
Life does not have to be lived this way. The adoption of Jesus’ Golden Rule can change human relationships: “…whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.” (Matt. 7:12) Or to put it more simply: Do unto others as you would have them do to you! Try it for yourself and see what changes you see in your relationships.
Mike Willis
