12 Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Perhaps this verse is one of the most well-known teachings of Jesus. What is less appreciated is how utterly and supremely unique this teaching in fact is. It is without parallel.
Michael Green writes, “There is some sort of parallel for most things Jesus said in some ethical teacher or other if you rummage enough and range widely enough, but not for this. There is even a negative edition of this ‘Golden Rule’ to be found in Confucius. When asked for a one-word rule for life, he replied, “Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself do not do to others.” But that is not nearly as challenging and demanding as the positive form Jesus gives his disciples as the keynote for relationships with others. Confucius’ maxim could become the basis for law…but you could never legislate to bring about what Jesus is teaching.” (The Message of Matthew, p.107)
I quote Green extensively here because, in all my reading of Scripture I never put my finger on the “unparalleled uniqueness” of this teaching.
Amazing. I should not be amazed with Jesus’ teaching, but I just did not realize this fact.
It makes sense. It makes sense here in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been pushing us well beyond the Law. After all Jesus’ words, that some may have been thinking they could codify into a new set of laws—Jesus ‘drops the mic’—for as Green suggests, you cannot enact such a law.
How then can we even approach such a teaching? Not through the law, but only through transformed hearts and lives.
It is one thing to say, “I won’t harm my fellow man”, it is quite another to say, “I will go out of my way to serve, to love.” The latter is the self-sacrificing love that we find in only in Jesus.
We should not be surprised, what we find in Jesus, he seeks to see in us.
When you ponder this command, who or what presents the largest challenge?