‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.’ Luke 6: 27-31
We were at a Landry’s bistro in Branson over the weekend and we were served by the most wonderful waiter I have ever encountered. He was warm, attentive, and very helpful without being patronizing nor supercilious as I often see in waiters in such fancy places. When I commented how impressed and appreciative I was of his service; he simply said with a warm, almost affectionate smile, “I just treat all my guests exactly the same way I want to be treated.” I could immediately tell that he also had a very healthy self-image and a strong self-respect. The wisdom behind the Golden Rule is so intuitive, not requiring any elaborate reasoning to prove. Yet, the world struggles to comprehend and stumbles over it. This world would be a much better place to live in if only more people truly lived by the Golden Rule. As it is, he who has the gold makes the rules. It is all about power and possessions.
‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6: 35-36
It is easy to apply the Golden Rule to those who are nice to us. it is east to be good to those who are good to us and love us. The world stumbles when Christ challenges us to apply the Golden Rule to our enemies and to those who hate us for that would mean having to forgive these people. When somebody has hurt us or caused us great pain, our knee jerk reaction and gut deep desire is for revenge and to get even. But unless we are willing to forgive those our enemies and those who have offended us, the Golden Rule is impossible to practice.
‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ Luke 6: 37-38
These words of Christ are so self-evident they are blinding in their truth. I look at what is happening in Syria and in Zamboanga back home in the Philippines. It is all about power and possessions. How different it would be if people practiced the Golden Rule. We have the answer to the ills of the world but we refuse to listen. We can rid our world of all its troubles but we have allowed our hearts to turn into stones, our eyes blinded by materialism, our ears deaf to all but our own cries and our hands clenched in fists to fight instead of being open to give and to help.