"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Such is the Golden Rule as expressed in Luke 6:31. It is certainly better than the sarcastic flip of this Rule, "They that have the Gold Make the Rules." Sarcastic, but maybe too close to home?
The Golden Rule is a cliche. That does NOT mean that it is neither true nor profound in its implications. But it has fallen in my favorite cliche, "All the greatest human wisdom inevitably becomes cliche". It has become trite, "overused and consequently of little importance" says the Google.
The Golden Rule is what cultural observers point to as proof that "all religions are the same". This charge is made because the Golden Cliche can be found, in some form, in 'most' religions, so, perhaps religion itself is "overused and consequently of little importance."
When a verse is ripped out of context, it can be reduced to a milky pablum of universal love and general niceness. This is Jesus talking. He carries God-level expectations for His followers. Consider what Jesus said not from the point of view of what Jesus expects of his followers, but from those with whom Jesus says they will come in contact with.
So, instead of wearing the sandals of one of Jesus' followers, I am wearing the sandals of the other ones.
So I hate them. They are my enemy, and I demonstrate my hatred in my actions toward them. Then I, the hater, get knocked into the dirt by something unforeseen. And who is there to offer me a hand, no strings attached? The one I hate, my enemy, those people. Whatever reasons I have in my own head and heart to hate them, they have tried to do good by me. Because a hater's going to hate, I would probably slap that hand aside.
I am going to curse them out. They are invading my space, taking my job, putting my family at risk. They are not right, not worthy, not good. They are the enemy. Foul words come out of my mouth and they reply, maybe smiling sadly, with a blessing instead. "Do well this day." "Peace be with you."
I am going to be abusive. Maybe I am their boss, I can make their lives miserable. Maybe I have power, I can dump on them. Maybe I am just a mean, selfish *&%^$, but I can make sure they feel unworthy, unloved, uncared for. I can belittle them, I can invade their space, get in their face. They can know they are nothing and less than nothing in my eyes, and I act out on that certainty. And maybe, when I walk away, I overhear their prayer on my behalf, in the words of Jesus, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."
It is so very hard for me to put myself into the shoes of someone who would lash out and strike someone else. My first image is out of a movie, where I hit someone, they smile and turn the other cheek, offering me one more shot before they crush me. That's the movies. Here, I strike someone and they offer me the next blow; and the next; and the next. Let me come with truncheon and attack dog and riot gear and water hoses and beat them down while they join hands and sing a hymn and leave me to bring it on.
It is winter, I am cold, or not, just mean. You have a coat and I rip it out of your grasp. You nod slowly, take off your sweatshirt and offer it to me as well.
I am the beggar. You don't know if I am running a scam. You don't know if I am shiftless and lazy. You don't know if the system has dropped me between the cracks and then closed up the fissures to crush me. You don't need my backstory, you will give to me.
I borrowed from you (maybe I asked, maybe not), maybe some money, maybe a power tool, whatever. I took it and never quite remember to return it. You don't ask for them back. You know and I know what I did here, but you move on.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
The world might think this is someone bumping me by accident in a hallway and me wishing they hadn't done that.
That is nonsense. We speak here of the radical love of Jesus, that I will love you no matter how hard it is to do so. Unachievable by human standards?
This is Jesus' standard.
Peace,
Pastor Peter
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