SPIIRTUAL DIARY FOR 1/28/2021 11:28 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “God’s Purpose For His Children Demands It”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 7:12
Message of the
verse: “12
"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to
treat you, for this is the
Law and the Prophets.”
We can see that the implication of
verses 7-11 is made plain in verse 12, as the perfect love of our heavenly
Father is most reflected in His children when they treat others as they
themselves have a desire to be treated.
The truth is that there is no
capacity within an unbeliever to love in the way that Jesus commands here. I’m not saying that unbelievers can do many
things that are ethical, and it happens every once in a while they might even
approach the level of this highest of ethical standards. However they can’t sustain such selflessness
and the reason is that they do not have the divine resources necessary for
regular, habitual living on that plane.
John MacArthur writes “However you
want people to treat you’ sums up the sermon to this point, and ‘so treat them’
is a summary of ‘the Law and the Prophets.’
It is also a paraphrase of the second great commandment, ‘You shall love
your neighbor as yourself’ (Matt. 22:39; cf. Lev. 19:18). The golden rule instructs us as to how we are
to love other people, ‘especially,’ as Paul points out, ‘those of the household
of faith’ (Gal. 6:10). And ‘he who loves
his neighbor has fulfilled the law’ (Rom. 13:8; cf. V 10; Gal. 5:14).
“How we treat others is not to be
determined by how we except them to treat us or by how we think they should
treat us, but by how we want them to treat us.
Herein is the heart of the principle, an aspect of the general truth
that is not found in similar expressions in other religious and philosophies.”
MacArthur tells a true story about
the advancement of the musical instrument which is known as a harpsichord. It was made first to have its keys when
depressed to strike a string, something like a person with a pick strikes a
guitar. As you can imagine the tones
were not always pure, but during the last quarter of the 18th
century during Beethoven’s lifetime there was an unknown musician who made some
modifications to the harpsichord so that the keys activated hammers that
struck, rather than plucked the strings.
With that minor change, a major improvement was made that would
henceforth radically enhance the entire musical world, giving a grandeur and
breadth that was never before known.
The point of that story is to see
that sort of revolutionary change Jesus gives in the golden rule. When we look at every other form of this basic
principle it was given in negative terms, and is found in the literature of
almost every major religion and philosophical system. An example of this comes from Rabbi Hillel
who says “What is hateful to yourself do not to someone else.” Here is another example and this time it
comes from Confucius who taught “What you do not want done to yourself, do not
do to others.” There are more examples that
we could give but I don’t think it is necessary as we see that all of these
examples stated have a negative connotation, and the reason is that they go
only as far as sinful man can go, and are basically expressions not of live but
of self-interest. What they are is just
looking out for one’s self and not really caring for the other person in love
as Jesus is teaching in verse 12. Lord
willing we will continue to look at this in our next SD.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Selfless
love is a miracle that comes from the Spirit of God, and certainly not from the
old nature or flesh of a believer.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To continue
to seek revival in my life and in the lives of those that I love.
1/28/2021 12:47
PM
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