Introduction
A. A honeymoon couple is in the Watergate Hotel. The new bride is concerned and asked, "What if the place is still bugged?" The groom says "Hmm... Good point. I'll look for a bug." He looks behind the drapes, behind the pictures, under the rug . . . "AHA!" he shouts! Sure enough, under the rug was a small disc shaped plate, with four screws. He gets his Swiss army knife, unscrews the screws, throws them and the plate out the window. The next morning, the hotel manager asks the newlyweds "How was your room? How was the service? How was your stay at the Watergate Hotel?" Curious, the groom says, "And why, sir, are you asking me all of these questions?" The hotel manager says "Well, the room UNDER yours complained of the chandelier falling on them!"
1. Lets turn to Matthew 7:12
Matthew 7:12 NKJV
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
B. What we have just read has been called ‘The Golden Rule.’
1. In his commentary on Matthew 1-7, John MacArthur, Jr. writes, “Every other form of this basic principle had been given in purely negative terms, and is found in the literature of almost every major religion and philosophical system.
2. This is often called the silver rule
a. The Jewish rabbi Hillel said, “What is hateful to yourself do not to someone else.”
b. The book of Tobit in the Apocrypha teaches, “What thou thyself hatest, to no man do.”
c. The Jewish scholars in Alexandria who translated the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) advised in a certain piece of correspondence, “As you wish that no evil befall you, but to be a partaker of all good things, so you should act on the same principle toward your subjects and offenders.”
d. Confucius taught, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
e. An ancient Greek king named Nicocles wrote, “Do not do to others the things which make you angry when you experience them at the hands of other people.”
f. The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “What you avoid suffering yourself, do not afflict on others.”
g. The Stoics promoted the principle, “What you do not want to be done to you, do not do to anyone else.”
h. In every case the emphasis is negative.
i. The principle is an important part of right human relations, but it falls short—far short—of God’s perfect standard.”
3. There is definitely a difference in Jesus’ statement here.
a. He is not just saying to refrain from doing to others what you wouldn’t want done to you, but He is saying do to others what you would have them do to you.
b. The New American Standard Bible says, “…treat people the same way you want them to treat you…”
(1) Turn to Matthew 22:39
II. Body
A. How would you like to be treated by others?
Matthew 22:39 NKJV
"And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
1. Calvin Miller in The Taste of Joy. Christianity Today, wrote, “Christians state glibly that they love the whole world, while they permit themselves animosities within their immediate world. World love is a philosophical credo. But loving the world at large can only be done by loving face to face the world that is not so distant. It is foolish to say we love humanity; its people we can't stand.”
2. Turn to Ephesians 5:28 & 29
3. Maybe you never thought of loving yourself as good, but it is a reality.
a. When speaking to husbands in Ephesians 5:28 Paul explains to husbands that they should love their wives as they love their own bodies.
Ephesians 5:28-29 NKJV
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. {29} For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
b. We do care for ourselves, don’t we?
c. Paul further states in verse 29 that no one ever hated his own body, but feeds it and takes care of it.
d. We do take care of ourselves don’t we?
e. Granted, some of us have ‘hated our body’ in the sense of wishing it looking better or was formed better, but from a quick glance at many of us you’d see we don’t have a problem feeding ourselves (maybe not the best foods) and we try our best to make sure we look good
(1) Turn to 2 Timothy 3:1-5
4. Now, you might say, what about the Bible’s negative view towards those who are ‘lovers of themselves’?
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: {2} For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, {3} unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, {4} traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, {5} having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
a. Verse 2 refers to ‘lovers of themselves.’
(1) You don’t have to study hard here on this or any of the translations out there to figure out that someone that is a lover of their self is a self-centered, self-absorbed person.
(2) They are into pleasure and instant gratification any way they can get it.
(3) This kind of person is godless.
(4) But this is not describing the normal self-love we all have
(a) Turn back to Ephesians 5:28-29
(5) For we all care for ourselves and desire ourselves to be treated humanely.
Ephesians 5:28-29 NKJV
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. {29} For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
(6) Now in dealing with the Ephesians 5 verses, The Life Application Bible Commentary says, “The fact that no one ever hates his own body refers not to self-centeredness but to self-preservation, the natural self-concern that causes people to feed and care for themselves.”
b. Now, back to Matthew 22:39
Matthew 22:39 NKJV
"And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
c. Jesus has just stated ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
(1) How do you want to be treated?
(2) You love yourself.
(3) You care for yourself.
(4) We know that.
(5) So how do you want folks to treat you?
(6) How do you want folks to talk to you?
(7) How do you want folks to be concerned about you?
(a) Turn to Philippians 2:20-21
B. Ask yourself, how do you treat others?
1. Paul is speaking of Timothy and his caring attitude towards the saint
Philippians 2:20-21 NKJV
For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. {21} For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
a. The New Living Translation says,
Philippians 2:20-21 NLT
“I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.”
b. Timothy is lauded here as a man who genuinely cares about these people’s welfare.
c. There was a genuine love for what Jesus loves in Timothy.
d. He put others’ welfare as a top priority.
e. In Philippians 2:4 Paul says this
Philippians 2:4 NKJV
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
2. Isn’t Timothy’s example an example to us today?
a. Other people’s needs, interests, cares, problems, victories, joys, etc., should be important to us.
b. Other people should be important to us.
c. Other people’s ‘stuff’ should be important to us.
d. Our ‘stuff’ is important to us and we want other people to take an interest, don’t we?
e. Therefore, we should treat others in the same manner we’d like to be treated.
(1) That’s what the Scripture is saying when it says, ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’
(2) So how are you accomplishing that?
(3) Do you love them this way?
(4) You want respect, do you give it?
(5) You want fellowship, do you give it? And so on
(a) Turn back to Matthew 7:12
C. The summary of the Law and Prophets
Matthew 7:12 NKJV
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
1. Why did Jesus say as it is put in the New Living Translation, “This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets”
a. Turn to Romans 13:8-10
b. Because acting towards others in the manner we’d like to be treated is an act of love on our part.
c. And acting in love fulfills the law
Romans 13:8-10 NKJV
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. {9} For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." {10} Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
2. If you don’t hear anything else, then hear this: “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law
a. The doctor’s Hippocratic oath says, “First, do no harm”
3. If I love my neighbor I won’t have extramarital sex with their spouse or even lust after them, will I?
4. If I love my neighbor I won’t murder them, or even hate them, will I?
5. If I love my neighbor I won’t steal from them, will I?
6. If I love my neighbor I won’t covet what they have, will I?
7. Therefore, if we love we are fulfilling God’s laws, are we not?
a. Turn to Leviticus 19:18
8. God’s laws dealing with human relationships can be summarized by Leviticus 19:18
Leviticus 19:18 NKJV
'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
9. James 2:8 calls this the royal law.
James 2:8 NKJV
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
a. Turn to Matthew 22:37-40
10. Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40
Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV
Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' {38} "This is the first and great commandment. {39} "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' {40} "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
a. Jesus answered the question of ‘who is my neighbor?’ when He gave the parable of the Good Samaritan.
b. Love reaches out even to enemies.
c. The ‘Golden Rule’ is not limited to people you like, but to all our human relationships.
(1) Turn to 1 John 4:20 - 21
d. And we know from God’s Word that we cannot genuinely obey the greatest commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength if we do not obey the second greatest commandment, which is to love people.
1 John 4:20-21 NKJV
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? {21} And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
e. So our living up to God’s standards, God’s laws, hinges greatly on loving others.
f. For loving others is the fulfillment of the law.
III. Conclusion
A. The Sermon on the Mount, once again, tells us how Christ expects us to be.
1. And we know that Christ came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.
2. We also know that the righteousness of the Pharisees, that hypocritical, self-righteousness based on traditions of man, is not enough to gain right standing with God.
3. Jesus said our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees.
4. That means we can’t attain God’s kind of righteousness by our own self-righteous merits.
5. How can we attain it?
6. By grace through faith.
7. That’s the only way.
B. The only way you and I can love God’s way is to have Christ’s righteousness.
1. This kind of loving is divine.
2. We need the help of the Holy Spirit.
3. The love God demands we have for others is impossible on our own.
4. But it is attainable if we are walking in the Spirit.
IV. Questions
A. First of all, I ask you, ‘Do you now Jesus?’
1. Without His cleansing of your life and making you a new creation, you can forget ever being able to follow Him.
2. You need Him to save you.
B. Secondly, I ask you, ‘How do you want to be treated?’
1. And then I ask you, ‘Do you treat others based on that same standard?
2. Do you really care for others as you would like others to care for you?
3. Would you be willing to yield to God this morning and ask Him to help you show that kind of love?’
a. To repent of anything contrary to God’s standard
C. Thirdly, ‘Are you harming your neighbor?’
1. Are part of a bad relationship?
2. Are you at ‘war’ with an enemy?
3. Have you stole from someone?
4. The reality is that ‘love does no harm to its neighbor.’ Would you be willing to come clean about some ways you’ve harmed your neighbor and not shown true love to them?
D. Fourthly, I ask you, ‘Who is someone right now that you could go to and bless?
1. Perhaps there is someone that you know needs a pick-me-up.
2. Maybe you could right and send a card to them.
3. Maybe they need help on a project.
4. Maybe they need you to speak kindly to them.
5. Maybe they need you to go and forgive them.
6. Who is someone right now that you could actively treat the way you would want to be treated?
7. Remember, The English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray said, "Life is a mirror; if you frown at it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting."
