Do Unto Others???

Do unto others as you'd have them do to you.....

SHOCKER - this is NOT in the Bible - at least not as a stand alone statement. Rather it is part of a list that Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 7, which is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount which starts in Matthew 5. Matthew 7:12 says "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

This verse, taken by itself without the context of the previous verses, can cause trouble or confusion. Let me explain using an example.

I like to use a thick towel. My husband prefers a thinner towel. When I give him a nice plush towel, I am doing to him what I want done for me, but it isn't what he wants. (I discovered this after 40 years of marriage!)

The point of Matthew 7 is not doing for others like we want done for us. The point is loving others the way we would like to be loved. To do this well, we need to know them well enough to do for them the things they need, would like, etc. It does no good to give a blind person a first edition book of his or her favorite author. It is very good to give them the Braille edition or an audio edition.

Another point of Matthew 7, rather the entire Sermon on the Mount is how to properly love another. Do not judge but accept correction from others as they point out the speck (or plank) in your eye. Knock, seek, find and help others do the same. Give good gifts as the Father in heaven gives good gifts.

Wait! How do we do that? How can we possibly give good gifts like our Father in heaven? Here's my thought. When we love other people well, without demanding perfection from them, or expecting an appropriate response to our love, we can open the door to God's agape love through us. We can allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to give those good God gifts........ so that HE can make the offer of the ultimate good gift, salvation.

Do unto others as they'd like done to/for them and as you'd have done to/for you - love them into God's presence.

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