The Golden Rule (Mt 7:12)
Intro: Review (Mt 5:39-44)
1. Be longsuffering (see also Ex 34:6, 1Pe 2:23).
2. Repay cursing with blessing (see 1Pe 3:8, Rom 12:17-21, 1Thess 5:15).
3. Love, bless, do good, and pray (see 1Jn 3:18-19, Jas 2:15-16, Lk 6:35).
- Love of benevolence: that disposition which leads us to have a desire for, or delight in, the good of another.
- Love of complacence: that disposition which leads us to have a desire for, or delight in another (i.e. the person they are and the things they do).
Exposition: 'Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.'
1. The therefore
This summarizes the sermon so far, see 5:17.
2. The rule
'In other men's dealing with us we are masters, acute discerners of right, in our own case, able to teach what men ought to do' (Manton).
Compare Heb 2:17 & 4:15.
3. The Law And The Prophets
Law: see Lev 19:17-28, Ex 22:21-27.
Prophets: see Is 1:17, Zech 7:7-10.
Compare the Apostles: Gal 5:14, Rom 13:8-10
Conclusion: Why do we need Jesus to tell us this?
We don't; it's already in our hearts. But if we have not 'kept these commandments from our youth,' if we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves, then we need Jesus for another reason altogether. 'There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord' (Lk 2:11). |
