Why would the door of life be narrow at all? Why not fling it open so wide that everyone walks through without noticing? The first answer is that the commands of Christ restrict us. Eight of the Ten Commandments begin with the words you shall not. When God’s law...
Jesus has been teaching for three chapters. He has addressed anger and lust, prayer and worry, money and judgment, and the golden rule that summarizes the Law and the Prophets. Now, before he steps down from the mountain, he gathers all of it into one imperative....
Step back and look at the whole verse as one unit. By now you may be thinking, I understand this, it is so simple, but I cannot do it. And you are right. None of us can keep it consistently. Imagine putting a waiter’s white towel over your arm at dawn as a...
Notice how sweeping the verse is: whatever you wish that others would do to you. The word whatever is comprehensive. Nothing is excluded from its scope. Not your marriage. Not your kids. Not your coworkers. Not the driver who cut you off this morning. Not the church...
Someone will object that the Golden Rule is not unique to Jesus, and that is partly true. The great Rabbi Hillel, teaching shortly before Jesus, was challenged to teach the whole Torah while standing on one leg. He answered, do not do to your neighbor what is hateful...
