Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
The Golden Rule
AS WE LEARNED WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL, “DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU”.
Jesus says if we do this, it fulfills all of the law and the prophets. Love God, Love your fellow man. It is really a simple, common sense approach to life. Treat people the way you want to be treated. If you look at the context of this scripture, you will see that it is simple, yet difficult when taken in context. As Jesus is not saying to do this only to your friends and family. Not just to your immediate neighbors or acquaintances. This rule includes everyone you come in contact with during your day. The people that are beautiful and the ones that are not. The ones that treat you nice and the ones that treat you bad. Your friends and even your enemies. This rule is not about how you are treated by others. This life rule is about our treatment of our fellow man. This is where the rubber meets the road LOVE.
What I like to do is put myself in the shoes of the other person.
I took this panoramic photo yesterday evening with my Huawei Nova 2i. Mount Malindang Philippines.
Where I live there are some native people call Baguio. They are people originally lived near the sea and fed their families from fishing. The only thing, these people fished with their hands. They could hold their breath under water seemingly forever. If you try, most will find it difficult to hold their breath for 1 minute. Even impossible for some to hold their breath for 2 or 3 minutes. These people can hold their breath 5 minutes or more.
For whatever reason they have been moved away from the sea by the government and have been given a card that allows them to beg.
*We have Ministry to these people and many have come to Jesus. They tell us, this is all they want, is to live by the sea and live like their ancestors.
Anyway, I was sitting in my truck and one of the Baguio with a small child started to look into my running truck, as I was sitting there with the AC on. I was busy and they were interrupting me. An this was one of those real persistent ones!
Do you ever think, what would have happen if I was born (Someone like this)? I was born in the USA. My family was not well off, but just being a citizen of the US provides great advantages. But God could have placed me in any other family or country. I could have been born a Baguio!
If I were born a Baguio, how would I want others to treat me?
See this is what I think Jesus is saying. Trade places with that person in our imagination and ask the question. “If I were them, and they were me, how would I want to be treated?”
To be truthful, at the beginning I was a little irritated! But LOVE! Not my love, but the Love of God. My love has limits! God’s Love is without Limits!
I got out of my truck and said in the local dialect, “Come with me”.
Now this person, carrying a child in her arms, is walking with me like we are a family. The other local people are watching and, most people were pausing whatever they were doing and we were the center of attention.
WE WALKED TO A BAKERY AND I. ORDERED FOR THEM, NOT THE CHEAPEST THINGS, BUT THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE HOME TO MY FAMILY.
BRAGGING ON JESUS
Before Christ I was the most selfish, arrogant and angry man.
Let’s look at the rest of the context of our text.
These are the Words of Jesus! These verses are the context of the Golden Rule. Yes we should treat our friends and loved ones with this kindness, but Jesus is taking it farther than that.
Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Luk 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luk 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Luk 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Luk 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Luk 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Luk 6:34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
Luk 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Luk 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Thank you for coming into by virtual living room and studying the Bible with our topic LOVE.
God bless!
Daddy William
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