Week 11 - The Golden Rule
Text: Matthew 7:12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
I'm reading a book right now called Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. It's a pretty interesting study on how to make quick decisions and trust your instinct. One of the concepts is to reduce the amount of necessary variables in the decision making process. For example, if you're trying to decide where to dinner, is the average cost per packet of Nutra-Sweet really information you need?
In a way, that is what Jesus reduces all of the nuances of Law and prophetic command to in the Golden Rule. Out of the 613 commands of the Law, Jesus gets them to only one variable, "How would I want someone to treat me?"
Now this is not a relational investment strategy. It's not like if I treat people with respect, then automatically, everyone will shower me with respect. The truth is if people want to treat you like dirt, they're going to treat you like dirt. It's more what should I do, irregardless of what other may do? I heard one of those TV therapist say one time, "You have the quality of relationships you want."
What the Golden Rule gives us is a quick boundary, an easily remember parameter to make decisions concerning people and behavior. I may not know of the theological nuances of Paul's argument for the relational context of pagan and believer, but I know that I want people to be nice to me, so I start with being nice to them. It's a stop and think kind of thing.
Questions to consider:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
I'm reading a book right now called Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. It's a pretty interesting study on how to make quick decisions and trust your instinct. One of the concepts is to reduce the amount of necessary variables in the decision making process. For example, if you're trying to decide where to dinner, is the average cost per packet of Nutra-Sweet really information you need?
In a way, that is what Jesus reduces all of the nuances of Law and prophetic command to in the Golden Rule. Out of the 613 commands of the Law, Jesus gets them to only one variable, "How would I want someone to treat me?"
Now this is not a relational investment strategy. It's not like if I treat people with respect, then automatically, everyone will shower me with respect. The truth is if people want to treat you like dirt, they're going to treat you like dirt. It's more what should I do, irregardless of what other may do? I heard one of those TV therapist say one time, "You have the quality of relationships you want."
What the Golden Rule gives us is a quick boundary, an easily remember parameter to make decisions concerning people and behavior. I may not know of the theological nuances of Paul's argument for the relational context of pagan and believer, but I know that I want people to be nice to me, so I start with being nice to them. It's a stop and think kind of thing.
Questions to consider:
- How do you want to be treated? Do you treat people that way?
- Have you ever seen a relational turn for the better because of your proactive obedience to the Golden Rule? Share the results.
- IS the Golden Rule more than just being nice to people? What other relational and behavioral reactions can we share with people?
- How does the Golden Rule affect your relationships in your family? Friends? At Work? At Church?
posted by Brian Jenkins at 10:39 AM
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