“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12; all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version).

Many people refer to Matthew 7:12 as “the Golden Rule.” It is one of Jesus’ most beloved sayings, partially because it provides a concise, broad summary of much of His teaching. We can solve many of our moral dilemmas by considering this teaching.

It is also one of the most universal moral teachings one can find. Influential moral teachers from diverse religions have taught similar ideas. In fact, many Jewish rabbis of Jesus’ time would say things like, “Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you.” Confucius, Buddha, and similar teachers made similar statements. However, Jesus’ statement took it a step further: the rabbinic version told people not to mistreat one another; Jesus urged us to be more proactive. We should not merely avoid hurting other people. We can refrain from harming other people simply by minding our business and not getting involved, but that will probably not alleviate their suffering. Jesus is teaching us to not only avoid harming others but to take action to bless and care for them.

Some pessimistic people can observe that, taken by itself, the Golden Rule can be abused. Jesus was not saying that a suicidal maniac, who wants to go out in a blaze of glory, should launch a shooting rampage at a school, hoping to be killed by the police or eventually turn the gun on himself. Christian ethics should not be guided by the desires of a pain-loving masochist. So, some might suggest we can improve on this statement. Centuries later, 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant would rephrase it as his “Categorical Imperative”:

“Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.”

Kant believed that moral laws should be universal and apply to all rational beings. Self-interest should not define them.

While this is a satisfactory restatement of the Golden Rule, it was unnecessary. Jesus said “this is the Law and the Prophets” in His statement. He would summarize the Law and Prophets—the Old Testament—later in His ministry as follows:

“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:34-40).

To follow the Golden Rule correctly, we should practice it along with the two great commandments. If we treat others as we want to be treated, while loving God and our neighbors, we will do well. This brings Kant’s Categorical Imperative (whose major flaw was that it humanistically ignored God) into submission to the will of God.

In every situation, God’s love should guide us. Then, we can look at each situation and ask ourselves: “Would I want someone else to treat me the same way I plan to treat this person? If I was in this person’s situation, how would I want other people to react? What would I not want people to say or do to me in this situation?”

Perhaps we can rename the Golden Rule as the Empathetic Imperative. Jesus calls us to show empathy for others: to imagine how we would feel in their situation so that empathy determines our response. Jesus calls us to give generously, love charitably, listen empathetically, and speak compassionately. May we always treat others as we want to be treated while we love God and our neighbors.

Lord, we praise You for Your love, which You have revealed to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ, and have poured into our hearts as You filled us with Your Holy Spirit. Teach us how to love You more, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to treat others like we want to be treated. Guide us to live with love and empathy toward all whom we meet. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

How can you love others and treat them as you wish to be treated? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments field below.

Copyright © 2024 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.