The Everest of Ethics
Content
Preached: LR Niceville, FL (August 2010 Summer Series) The Everest of Ethics (Matthew 7:12) Introduction A. We teach it to our children. We pray we will live it out. We often say that, if the world used it, it would change things immediately. B. Most commonly, it is called the golden rule. As Jesus began to come near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, He gave what some have referred to as the Everest of Ethics. This is the highest of all ethical teachings, and a simply-worded statement that would transform all relationships if followed. C. It is interesting that others had said similar things before. Most notably, Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, stated, Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you (Analects 15:23). Even Jews prior to the time of Christ had similar teachings. The Talmud stated, What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man (Shabbat 31a). Also, in the Jewish apocryphal book Tobid is this saying: And what you hate, do not do to anyone (4:15). Other religions, such as Buddhism and Janism have similar sayings, but they deal with doing good to others so as not to harm them. D. However, the reason Jesus statement stands out, is that it is the ultimate in training our heart to be proactive in good works. Did you notice that the other religions taught to avoid doing evil (or harm) because we don t want that done to us. However, we know the Golden Rule as a statement of good works. E. Most in this room can quote this foundational teaching. Since it is so familiar to many of us, let me read it to you from several different translations to give you the full picture of this wonderful teaching. 1. KJV: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 2. RSV: So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. 3. NIV: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. 4. Phillips: treat other people exactly as you would like to be treated by them this is the essence of all true religion. 5. ESV: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. F. While all are similar, I think by reading those different versions, we get a full picture of what Christ had in mind as He gave this great teaching. G. In 1976, brother J. Noel Merideth wrote an article in the Gospel Advocate (September 9; page 535). Part of that article dealt with the Golden Rule. I d like to read you that paragraph.
The Golden Rule is the great Christian rule of life: All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them. (Matthew 7:12.) This principle is the capstone of human relations, the topmost peak of social ethics, and the Everest of all ethical teaching. It is possible to find negative statements similar to this by famous Jewish teachers, but no one but Jesus ever put it in its positive form. Jesus statement of action is positive. He taught that the essence of righteousness is the constructive doing of good, not just the negative avoidance of doing harm. Jesus principle deals with treating men with kindness. It is the kind of compassion and mercy shown by the good Samaritan who helped the wounded man in Luke 10:30ff. The principle is that of rendering justice, mercy, and love to all men as prescribed by the law. The Emperor Severus inscribed the golden rule on his palace and highly respected its content. We should inscribe it on our hearts and practice it in our lives. H. Since this is such a very important teaching, I want us to think about it this morning. I. There are several things we could note, but I want to share three things about this rule. We will examine it from its worth, its value, and its production. J. Some, as you might expect, have criticized this saying. One of the more famous remarks was made by George Bernard Shaw. He said, Do not do unto others as you would expect they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same (Maxims for Revolutionists). A great response to that came from Walter Terence Stace in his book The Concept of Morals. He wrote, Mr. Bernard Shaw's remark "Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may be different" is no doubt a smart saying. But it seems to overlook the fact that "doing as you would be done by" includes taking into account your neighbor's tastes as you would that he should take yours into account. Thus the "golden rule" might still express the essence of a universal morality even if no two men in the world had any needs or tastes in common. K. Having established that this is principle of the highest level, let s look at the Golden Rule from three angles, and see how transformed our world would be if it were followed by all. And, let s also make sure we don t just look outside; let s see how different our lives would be if we lived it out in our lives! Body I.
The Golden Rule is a Priceless Principle. A. Even within the wording of Matthew 7:12, we are given Jesus strong statement of the value of this principle: This is the Law and the Prophets. We might say that the Golden Rule is the rule to end all rules, or that it is the rule that summarizes all others. B. What makes it priceless principle is that it would solve all problems if followed. Yes, I said ALL problems! C. Think about what Paul said: Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).
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D. Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). 1. And, as we often say when we read that verse, Christ then went to the cross for us. He showed what He taught. 2. When we are willing to sacrifice even our own lives, we are showing the true price of the Golden Rule. E. Even some who are not Christians have realized the true value of this teaching of Christ. Robert Millikan listed the Golden Rule as the first among those ideas that stand out above all others in the influence they have exerted upon and are destined to exert upon the development of the human race (quoted from Forbes Magazine in The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations). F. But what truly makes this principle priceless to the Christian is that we have seen it lived out in the life of our Savior. 1. Think about the two verses we just read. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. When Christ came to this earth, He always did what was right to those who were around Him. Even in times when He had to say something somewhat harsh, Christ always said exactly what needed to be heard. Everything He did was for the purpose of trying to seek and save that which was lost. The Golden Rule, therefore, doesn t imply some type of false humility where we just let people run over us. It seeks their best good, and those we are trying to help in a loving way may not understand why even on this earth. One day, though, they will understand why we continually tried to point them in the direction of Jesus. 2. Greater love has no man than this. Christ made that one easier for us than He lived out! He said that the great love is to lay down our life for a friend, and then He laid down His life for enemies! If He can do that for those who hated Him, can we not lay down our life and make a sacrifice for those who love us and care for us? G. The Golden Rule would make this world a better place because it would help us all see the worth of a soul. Since a soul is priceless, we must treat people as if they are priceless. When we put others first, it is a priceless principle. The Golden Rule is a Preventive Principle. A. This is usually the part of this teaching that we try to instill in young people. The Golden Rule is one of those principles that will keep us out of a lot of trouble, especially trouble in relationships. B. The reason it prevents difficulty is that we will stop for a moment before making a decision and ask, How would I want to be treated if I were in this situation? You can easily see how that one question would keep us from all types of difficulties. 1. Husbands, why should you call or text your wife if you are running late from work or are held up at a meeting? Because you would want the same if you were in her shoes. 2. Wives, why should you ask and show concern for your husband s workday even if you think his job is boring? Because you want him to show concern for your day.
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3. Parents, why should you discipline your children and direct them in the ways of God? Because you now know that that s what you needed in your life the most. C. The old saying, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is so true. D. Just think of how many difficult situations in the Bible would have been averted if individuals had just thought of this principle first. 1. Revisit the story of David and Bathsheba for a moment. Do you think David would have liked to have been taken from his home and basically forced into a sexual liaison with someone he barely knew? Back up even further! Do you think he would have liked to have had someone spying on him in private? If he had just thought that first, think of the crisis that could have been removed from his life. 2. Can you even imagine how much different the young life of Joseph would have been if his brothers had followed the Golden Rule. Now, Joseph needed a little dose of it, too. He didn t need to tell his brothers these grand dreams, but his brothers surely would not want to be sold into a foreign land as a slave and sent away from family. 3. Think of how differently the life of John the Baptist would have ended up if the king had followed the Golden Rule. He made a hasty promise, something one who is following the Golden Rule will not do because of possible outcomes. He then thought he had to follow up on that, due to the pressure of those around him. Instead, he could have taken a step back and followed this principle. 4. While there are others, think of just one more. Think of how differently Jewish history would be without Esther, but think of how she rose to power. A king decided to exploit his wife. He certainly wouldn t want to be exploited in that way. Then, when she refused, he simply removed her from her role as queen. Would he want to be removed from his position of power just for standing up for a conviction? Surely not. E. Do you see the point? If these folks had just stopped for a moment and thought about the other person, how much grief would have been spared! When we will take a moment to avoid snap decisions, and when we will think about how we would like it if something were done to us or for us, it will totally revolutionize our relationships. Also, it will keep us from a multitude of sins against other people. The Golden Rule is a Productive Principle. A. Now, you may think we have just pulled this one verse out of context and preached something not based on Scripture. This is where I want to put it back into its fuller context. B. Jesus, at the beginning of chapter 7, had been speaking of judging others. We are told by the words of Christ and by other teachings in the NT to judge carefully. We must remember that, when we judge, we will be judged in the same level. 1. Then Christ turns to the concept of the way God gives. We are told that, if our child asks for something, we will not give him something that is different and dangerous. With that in mind, Christ says (verse 11), If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?
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2. Now, notice that the Golden Rule begins with therefore or so. 3. Based upon this concept of judging properly and of giving like God, the Golden Rule is built. Listen to the words of one scholar: The person who practices the Golden Rule refuses to say or do anything that would harm himself or others. If our judging others is not governed by this principle, we will become proud and critical, and our own spiritual character will degenerate. Practicing the Golden Rule releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others, even those who want to hurt us. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Loyal, page 52). Do you see the connection? This principle is productive because it leads us to act with the proper motive in mind. That means at least two things: 1. First, it means that we will act. We won t sit back and do nothing because the love found within the Golden Rule will lead us to action. 2. But, more to our point, we won t be doing something out of duty. We won t be doing something just to be doing something. We will take more stock of our motives. Love and the desire to see someone come to Christ will motivate us to help someone or to simply reach out to another. Remember that Paul said we are to be zealous to good works (Titus 2:14). 1. When you sin, don t you want someone lovingly correcting you? Don t you want someone to care enough to reach out to you and help you turn from that sin? Then do that for someone else. Be zealous to do it the right way, though. 2. When you are hurting or down, don t you want someone to notice and share a word of kindness with you? Do that for another out of love for that person s soul. 3. When you are having a moment of triumph, don t you want someone to notice and celebrate with you instead of showing jealousy? Then find someone who has reason to rejoice and rejoice with him or her. Now, think of the productivity of following this principle beyond just helping the hurting or others. 1. Think of what would happen if every employer treated those working for him or her in the way he or she would want to be treated as a worker! 2. Think of the change in our workplaces if employees treated bosses in every respect the way they would want to be treated as a boss. 3. Think of how those who are sick would be if all workers in the health care field treated patients and families as they would like to be treated when sick. 4. Think of how many marriages would stay together and deeply committed if each spouse was treating the other in this way. 5. Think of how easy it would be to serve as an elder if all members treated other members as they wish to be treated instead of squabbling over every little issue that arises.
6. Think of how few wars (if any) would ever be fought if nations treated other nations as they would like to be treated. 7. Think of the types of sin that would be eliminated if this principle were lived out. There would be no pornography industry, nor would prostitution be around, because men and women would not want to put those they love through the emotions those lead to. There would be no gambling, because we would want to use our money to help others instead of selfishly spending it on ourselves, since we would desire that others help us financially when we are down. Conclusion A. A New York businessman dropped a dollar into the cup of a man selling pencils and hurriedly stepped aboard the subway train. On second thought, he stepped back off the train, walked over to the beggar and took several pencils from the cup. Apologetically, he explained that in his haste he had neglected to pick up his pencils and hoped the man wouldn't be upset with him. "After all," he said, "you are a businessman just like myself. You have merchandise to sell and it's fairly priced." Then he caught the next train. At a social function a few months later, a neatly dressed salesman stepped up to the businessman and introduced himself. "You probably don't remember me and I don't know your name, but I will never forget you. You are the man who gave me back my self-respect. I was a 'beggar' selling pencils until you came along and told me I was a businessman." (http://www.aish.com/jl/j/48969406.html) B. Do you see why this principle has been called The Everest of Ethics? It is the most proactive, loving principle anyone could ever give for our human relationships. It is placing others before self and desiring their greater good. When we all live that way, the world will be just fine! C. As we close, listen to the words of Scottish writer William Barclay. He noted the many negative versions of this rule that we spoke of at the beginning (not to do as you wouldn t want done). He tried to contrast that with how amazing life would be if we would do as Jesus said. He wrote, It is perfectly possible for a man of the world to observe the negative form of the golden rule. He could without very serious difficulty so discipline his life that he would not do to others what he did not wish them to do to him; but the only man who can even begin to satisfy the positive form of the rule is the man who has the love of Christ within his heart. He will try to forgive as he would wish to be forgiven, to help as he would wish to be helped, to praise as he would wish to be praised, to understand as he would wish to be understood. He will never seek to avoid doing things; he will always look for things to do. Clearly this will make life much more complicated; clearly he will have much less time to spend on his own desires and his own activities, for time and time again he will have to stop what he is doing to help someone else. It will be a principle which will dominate his life at home, in the factory, in the bus, in the office, in the street, in the train, at his games, everywhere. He can never do it until self withers and dies within his heart. To obey this commandment a man must become a new man with a new centre (sic.) to his life; and if the world was composed of people who sought to obey this rule,
it would be a new world. (Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of Matthew, volume 1, page 277)
The Golden Rule is the great Christian rule of life: All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them. (Matthew 7:12.) This principle is the capstone of human relations, the topmost peak of social ethics, and the Everest of all ethical teaching. It is possible to find negative statements similar to this by famous Jewish teachers, but no one but Jesus ever put it in its positive form. Jesus statement of action is positive. He taught that the essence of righteousness is the constructive doing of good, not just the negative avoidance of doing harm. Jesus principle deals with treating men with kindness. It is the kind of compassion and mercy shown by the good Samaritan who helped the wounded man in Luke 10:30ff. The principle is that of rendering justice, mercy, and love to all men as prescribed by the law. The Emperor Severus inscribed the golden rule on his palace and highly respected its content. We should inscribe it on our hearts and practice it in our lives. H. Since this is such a very important teaching, I want us to think about it this morning. I. There are several things we could note, but I want to share three things about this rule. We will examine it from its worth, its value, and its production. J. Some, as you might expect, have criticized this saying. One of the more famous remarks was made by George Bernard Shaw. He said, Do not do unto others as you would expect they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same (Maxims for Revolutionists). A great response to that came from Walter Terence Stace in his book The Concept of Morals. He wrote, Mr. Bernard Shaw's remark "Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may be different" is no doubt a smart saying. But it seems to overlook the fact that "doing as you would be done by" includes taking into account your neighbor's tastes as you would that he should take yours into account. Thus the "golden rule" might still express the essence of a universal morality even if no two men in the world had any needs or tastes in common. K. Having established that this is principle of the highest level, let s look at the Golden Rule from three angles, and see how transformed our world would be if it were followed by all. And, let s also make sure we don t just look outside; let s see how different our lives would be if we lived it out in our lives! Body I.
The Golden Rule is a Priceless Principle. A. Even within the wording of Matthew 7:12, we are given Jesus strong statement of the value of this principle: This is the Law and the Prophets. We might say that the Golden Rule is the rule to end all rules, or that it is the rule that summarizes all others. B. What makes it priceless principle is that it would solve all problems if followed. Yes, I said ALL problems! C. Think about what Paul said: Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).
II.
D. Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). 1. And, as we often say when we read that verse, Christ then went to the cross for us. He showed what He taught. 2. When we are willing to sacrifice even our own lives, we are showing the true price of the Golden Rule. E. Even some who are not Christians have realized the true value of this teaching of Christ. Robert Millikan listed the Golden Rule as the first among those ideas that stand out above all others in the influence they have exerted upon and are destined to exert upon the development of the human race (quoted from Forbes Magazine in The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations). F. But what truly makes this principle priceless to the Christian is that we have seen it lived out in the life of our Savior. 1. Think about the two verses we just read. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. When Christ came to this earth, He always did what was right to those who were around Him. Even in times when He had to say something somewhat harsh, Christ always said exactly what needed to be heard. Everything He did was for the purpose of trying to seek and save that which was lost. The Golden Rule, therefore, doesn t imply some type of false humility where we just let people run over us. It seeks their best good, and those we are trying to help in a loving way may not understand why even on this earth. One day, though, they will understand why we continually tried to point them in the direction of Jesus. 2. Greater love has no man than this. Christ made that one easier for us than He lived out! He said that the great love is to lay down our life for a friend, and then He laid down His life for enemies! If He can do that for those who hated Him, can we not lay down our life and make a sacrifice for those who love us and care for us? G. The Golden Rule would make this world a better place because it would help us all see the worth of a soul. Since a soul is priceless, we must treat people as if they are priceless. When we put others first, it is a priceless principle. The Golden Rule is a Preventive Principle. A. This is usually the part of this teaching that we try to instill in young people. The Golden Rule is one of those principles that will keep us out of a lot of trouble, especially trouble in relationships. B. The reason it prevents difficulty is that we will stop for a moment before making a decision and ask, How would I want to be treated if I were in this situation? You can easily see how that one question would keep us from all types of difficulties. 1. Husbands, why should you call or text your wife if you are running late from work or are held up at a meeting? Because you would want the same if you were in her shoes. 2. Wives, why should you ask and show concern for your husband s workday even if you think his job is boring? Because you want him to show concern for your day.
III.
3. Parents, why should you discipline your children and direct them in the ways of God? Because you now know that that s what you needed in your life the most. C. The old saying, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is so true. D. Just think of how many difficult situations in the Bible would have been averted if individuals had just thought of this principle first. 1. Revisit the story of David and Bathsheba for a moment. Do you think David would have liked to have been taken from his home and basically forced into a sexual liaison with someone he barely knew? Back up even further! Do you think he would have liked to have had someone spying on him in private? If he had just thought that first, think of the crisis that could have been removed from his life. 2. Can you even imagine how much different the young life of Joseph would have been if his brothers had followed the Golden Rule. Now, Joseph needed a little dose of it, too. He didn t need to tell his brothers these grand dreams, but his brothers surely would not want to be sold into a foreign land as a slave and sent away from family. 3. Think of how differently the life of John the Baptist would have ended up if the king had followed the Golden Rule. He made a hasty promise, something one who is following the Golden Rule will not do because of possible outcomes. He then thought he had to follow up on that, due to the pressure of those around him. Instead, he could have taken a step back and followed this principle. 4. While there are others, think of just one more. Think of how differently Jewish history would be without Esther, but think of how she rose to power. A king decided to exploit his wife. He certainly wouldn t want to be exploited in that way. Then, when she refused, he simply removed her from her role as queen. Would he want to be removed from his position of power just for standing up for a conviction? Surely not. E. Do you see the point? If these folks had just stopped for a moment and thought about the other person, how much grief would have been spared! When we will take a moment to avoid snap decisions, and when we will think about how we would like it if something were done to us or for us, it will totally revolutionize our relationships. Also, it will keep us from a multitude of sins against other people. The Golden Rule is a Productive Principle. A. Now, you may think we have just pulled this one verse out of context and preached something not based on Scripture. This is where I want to put it back into its fuller context. B. Jesus, at the beginning of chapter 7, had been speaking of judging others. We are told by the words of Christ and by other teachings in the NT to judge carefully. We must remember that, when we judge, we will be judged in the same level. 1. Then Christ turns to the concept of the way God gives. We are told that, if our child asks for something, we will not give him something that is different and dangerous. With that in mind, Christ says (verse 11), If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?
C.
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2. Now, notice that the Golden Rule begins with therefore or so. 3. Based upon this concept of judging properly and of giving like God, the Golden Rule is built. Listen to the words of one scholar: The person who practices the Golden Rule refuses to say or do anything that would harm himself or others. If our judging others is not governed by this principle, we will become proud and critical, and our own spiritual character will degenerate. Practicing the Golden Rule releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others, even those who want to hurt us. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Loyal, page 52). Do you see the connection? This principle is productive because it leads us to act with the proper motive in mind. That means at least two things: 1. First, it means that we will act. We won t sit back and do nothing because the love found within the Golden Rule will lead us to action. 2. But, more to our point, we won t be doing something out of duty. We won t be doing something just to be doing something. We will take more stock of our motives. Love and the desire to see someone come to Christ will motivate us to help someone or to simply reach out to another. Remember that Paul said we are to be zealous to good works (Titus 2:14). 1. When you sin, don t you want someone lovingly correcting you? Don t you want someone to care enough to reach out to you and help you turn from that sin? Then do that for someone else. Be zealous to do it the right way, though. 2. When you are hurting or down, don t you want someone to notice and share a word of kindness with you? Do that for another out of love for that person s soul. 3. When you are having a moment of triumph, don t you want someone to notice and celebrate with you instead of showing jealousy? Then find someone who has reason to rejoice and rejoice with him or her. Now, think of the productivity of following this principle beyond just helping the hurting or others. 1. Think of what would happen if every employer treated those working for him or her in the way he or she would want to be treated as a worker! 2. Think of the change in our workplaces if employees treated bosses in every respect the way they would want to be treated as a boss. 3. Think of how those who are sick would be if all workers in the health care field treated patients and families as they would like to be treated when sick. 4. Think of how many marriages would stay together and deeply committed if each spouse was treating the other in this way. 5. Think of how easy it would be to serve as an elder if all members treated other members as they wish to be treated instead of squabbling over every little issue that arises.
6. Think of how few wars (if any) would ever be fought if nations treated other nations as they would like to be treated. 7. Think of the types of sin that would be eliminated if this principle were lived out. There would be no pornography industry, nor would prostitution be around, because men and women would not want to put those they love through the emotions those lead to. There would be no gambling, because we would want to use our money to help others instead of selfishly spending it on ourselves, since we would desire that others help us financially when we are down. Conclusion A. A New York businessman dropped a dollar into the cup of a man selling pencils and hurriedly stepped aboard the subway train. On second thought, he stepped back off the train, walked over to the beggar and took several pencils from the cup. Apologetically, he explained that in his haste he had neglected to pick up his pencils and hoped the man wouldn't be upset with him. "After all," he said, "you are a businessman just like myself. You have merchandise to sell and it's fairly priced." Then he caught the next train. At a social function a few months later, a neatly dressed salesman stepped up to the businessman and introduced himself. "You probably don't remember me and I don't know your name, but I will never forget you. You are the man who gave me back my self-respect. I was a 'beggar' selling pencils until you came along and told me I was a businessman." (http://www.aish.com/jl/j/48969406.html) B. Do you see why this principle has been called The Everest of Ethics? It is the most proactive, loving principle anyone could ever give for our human relationships. It is placing others before self and desiring their greater good. When we all live that way, the world will be just fine! C. As we close, listen to the words of Scottish writer William Barclay. He noted the many negative versions of this rule that we spoke of at the beginning (not to do as you wouldn t want done). He tried to contrast that with how amazing life would be if we would do as Jesus said. He wrote, It is perfectly possible for a man of the world to observe the negative form of the golden rule. He could without very serious difficulty so discipline his life that he would not do to others what he did not wish them to do to him; but the only man who can even begin to satisfy the positive form of the rule is the man who has the love of Christ within his heart. He will try to forgive as he would wish to be forgiven, to help as he would wish to be helped, to praise as he would wish to be praised, to understand as he would wish to be understood. He will never seek to avoid doing things; he will always look for things to do. Clearly this will make life much more complicated; clearly he will have much less time to spend on his own desires and his own activities, for time and time again he will have to stop what he is doing to help someone else. It will be a principle which will dominate his life at home, in the factory, in the bus, in the office, in the street, in the train, at his games, everywhere. He can never do it until self withers and dies within his heart. To obey this commandment a man must become a new man with a new centre (sic.) to his life; and if the world was composed of people who sought to obey this rule,
it would be a new world. (Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of Matthew, volume 1, page 277)
