To “…treat people the same way you want them to treat you…” is a restatement of the second great commandment to love my neighbor as I love myself. What a great world this would be if everyone had this attitude and acted on it every day!
Please share your thoughts, another application or questions in the comments at the end.
COMMAND 44 “… treat people the same way you want them to treat you…”
Mt 7:12 and Lk 6:31
RECIPIENT: To the disciples in the hearing of the crowds on the mountain
Mt 5:1-2 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying…
Lk 6:20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say…
CONTEXT: A continuation of the Sermon on the Mount
Mt 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”
Lk 6:27-30 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.”
COMMAND FULL TEXT AND IMMEDIATE RESULT:
Mt 7:7 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Lk 6:31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”
RESULT:
Lk 6:32-35 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
After Jesus concluded the sermon
Mt 7:28-29; 8:1 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
DEFINITIONS: Key Greek Words – Removes ambiguity of the Bible text
word: Strong’s # Greek pronunciation — definition
treat: G4160 ποιεìω poy-eh’-ō — to make or do
people: G444 ἄνθρωπος anth’-rō-pos — a human being, whether male or female
COMMENT: My comments and notes
In Matthew 22 and Luke 19 Jesus plainly stated the two greatest commandments:
Mt 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And 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.’ 38This is the great and foremost commandment. 39The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
To “…treat people the same way you want them to treat you…” is a restatement of the second great commandment to love my neighbor as I love myself. God values all people and sends sunshine and rain to everyone because He knows our needs. Therefore, I ought also value others taking note of their needs and treating them the way I myself know how I would like to be treated.
In both Matthew’s and Luke’s books Jesus is talking about agape love in the verses surrounding this command. Agape Love has no sexual implication but is the decision of the will with action to meet the basic needs of others. Meeting my own basic needs is also a form of agape love. By extension then, the teaching of 1 Corinthians 13 enters into this command. I want to be treated like this:
1 Cor 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind {and} is not jealous; love does not brag {and} is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong {suffered,} 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
I know my own needs and I desire that people treat me with respect, dignity and kindness. The human experience is generally common and everyone desires others to treat them in the same way. When I think about all the people around me, I come to the realization that we all need each other for society to operate properly. God places such a high value on every person. Therefore, I will also value others and treat them with the respect, dignity and kindness that I myself would like to be treated. What a great world this would be if everyone had this attitude and acted on it every day!
What will this look like today?
To the best of my ability, I will take notice of the people around me, those with whom I work, those who serve and even the guys in the cars nearby on the road. In taking notice I will take the time to acknowledge their value with a kind greeting and with respect and generosity as appropriate to the situation.
Please share a comment, question or perhaps another application for this command of Jesus.
© 2018 Christopher Carlson
Easy to say but takes a lifetime to work out! Thank you for this reminder.
I struggle this one. In my busyness to get things done I forget that the people around me are important. Each person has feelings and family and a life that is just as important as mine. I could be a bit more polite, a bit more kind, a bit more forgiving and patient. You are right; I have to work at it .
“Love……does not seek its own”
It seems we will have to “unlearn” so many things we have been taught by our consumer driven materialistic society. I am taught to want what is best for me, my family,my career, my pleasure. I would agree that it takes a lifetime to learn this type of self-sacrificing love.
Thanks Mark for that comment. Frankly, I’m a bit confused by the concept of self sacrificing love. The reason is because, in the right context, what is good for me is good for others. In one sense, we are told to consider others above ourselves. Elsewhere we are told to love others as we love ourselves. The implication is that we love ourselves first. Self preservation is, of course, first; I’m not much good to others when dead. But beyond self preservation the thinking gets complicated for me. I understand that I must not prosper by cruelty or theft, but if by integrity I prosper, then I have much more to offer and share. Thoughts…?