Theme: THE GOLDEN RULE
Introduction
The word golden means that which is excellent; that which brings about “general or individual success, happiness or prosperity”; “popular or successful or likely to become so”. During his days on earth, our Lord Jesus Christ laid down the principle that we should always put ourselves in our neighbour’s place and direct our conduct accordingly. The precept “embraces in its few words the underlying and governing principle of all morality”. (The four-fold gospel) Truly, if we have love for one another, we will do unto others what we want them to do to us, and there will be relative “peace, goodwill” and harmony everywhere in the world by God’s grace.
Text: “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.” – Matthew 7:12.
Comment: During his earthly ministry, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave his disciples a very sublime principle or rule of action that is generally called “The Golden Rule.” The text is rendered thus in Luke 6:31 “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” In other words, we should treat our fellow human beings like ourselves. No man will like it if someone commits adultery with his wife; yet many men and women have extra-marital affairs. A father will not like it if his daughter is beaten by his son-in-law, as some often do. Yet such ones mercilessly flog or beat up their wives, another man’s daughter, even for petty domestic misunderstandings! Some who have powers to employ young people refuse to offer them the places they merited unless they offer bribes or sleep with them.
Job the prophet declared, “If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb? If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; – Job 31:13-17.