Written ~ 01-09-2024
Read Matthew Chapter Seven
Matthew 7
This chapter concludes the Sermon on the Mount and what wonderful teachings are packed into these 29 verses!
But today I want to focus on verse 7:12,
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (NLT)
Let’s also look at The Message and Amplified versions:
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.” (MSG)
“So then, in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you, for this is [the essence of] the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets.” (AMP)
We need to remember one little thing here… Jesus studied the Old Testament! The New Testament was written well after He had already ascended to Heaven. The Gospels, the Book of Acts and all of the Epistles were written 30-60 years after Jesus was back in Heaven seated at the right hand of God. So when Jesus is speaking about the Law and the Prophets, these are indeed the Law of Moses and the writings from all the Prophets in the Old Testament.
It’s possible that the crowd of people gathered around listening to His every word had quite a diversity in knowledge of the Scriptures, some may have been scholars themselves and knew the Law and the writings of the Prophets, but there may have been some who were hearing the things Jesus was speaking about for the very first time. Can you imagine the awe, after listening to Jesus speak, here in the Book of Matthew chapters 5,6 and 7, we have the voice of Jesus speaking to us. We should be in awe as well. In the last two verses of chapter 7 it says, 28 “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, 29 for He taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.”
So now let’s really look at this one verse, Matthew 7:12…
What’s the first thing you think of when you read “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” Do you reflect on your behavior towards others? Or do you only look at the part that talks about how you want others to behave towards you?
That’s why I LOVE The Message Version where it says…
“…Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them….”
“Grab the Initiative”
When we have troublesome relationships, what seems to be the common behavior? There usually is a pushing back, each person is seeing who can hold out the longest. No move is made to correct the situation. In this sort of situation, you need to seek the Word of God and see how to resolve difficult relationships in a Godly manner. You simply cannot stop at the words in verse 7:12, “Do to others whatever…” That would mean all selfish behavior would run rampant! No, Jesus makes it very clear you are to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” So, what does that look like in your situation? Is the person you are having trouble with always negative, sarcastic and disrespectful? And has your response to them always been throwing back the same? Negativity, sarcasm and disrespect? Well, this is where Jesus is going to need to step in and take you by the hand and guide you to a corrected behavior. This might just be the most difficult behavior you will need to change! BUT… If you are seeking a positive attitude, compliments and respect from the other person… well, guess what? That’s what it means to “Grab the Initiative” and change your responses towards that difficult person. And NO eye rolling in the process!
The first laws that were given to Moses by the Lord were the Ten Commandments, reading through them in Exodus 20 gives us pretty straight forward rules of how we are to behave…
- You must not have any other God but Me
- You must not make for yourself an idol of ANY kind
- You must not misuse the Name of the Lord your God
- Remember to observe the Sabbath Day by keeping it Holy
- Honor your Father and Mother
- You must not murder (or even be angry at another person – Matt 5:21-22)
- You must not commit adultery (or even look at another person with lust – Matt 5:27-28)
- You must not steal
- You must not testify falsely (lie) against your neighbor
- You must not covet (greedily want)
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish (cancel, overturn) the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
One purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to lead us to the Father, so in His Sermon on the Mount, He is giving us practical ways to turn our hearts from the things of this world and press these teachings from the law and the writings of the prophets into our spirits and have them be a part of our very being. So when we come against behaviors from other people that rub us the wrong way, it is up to you, it is up to me, to “Grab the Initiative” and change the narrative.
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you…”
“Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them…”
“…in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you…”
In some cases this is going to be quite difficult. But God will bless your efforts if it is coming from a heart that seeks after the Lord first!
Pray each day, before you step out of your “comfort zone” and ask God to give you the opportunities to change how you treat others (especially the difficult ones) and see how He blesses your attitude with an added joy. The thing to remember and this is the hard part, you may continue day after day being the one who changes behaviors and attitudes and the other person may not. This is not when you give up and get discouraged. God will move in that person’s heart. But you will need to keep up with a changed heart and remember this verse from today. Memorize it, write it on your bathroom mirror, or anywhere that you can look at it each and every day. Responding in exasperation because you are working towards changing your narrative, will undo everything you have worked so hard to repair. Be mindful of your attitude. Be mindful of your responses. Stay in the Bible! Study, pray and consult with someone who will not feed into negativity.
Thank you Father for Your Son, Jesus. His words in this sermon are astounding and leave me in awe of His authority. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to change my narrative each and every day. Help me to “Grab the Initiative.”
~AMEN~