This is a passage the world likes to cease on yet they do not understand the biblical principals of it. They promote it for a "better world!" We might even believe that they are "on to something....." There are two very fundamental rules however that we must note. 1. These words are found in the context of the sermon on the mount. 2. Christ Himself limits the golden rule as ALL the law and the prophets! We are going to see it is not a moral homely, but the demand of God to the child of God in the keeping of His commandments!

Possibility: Scripture is often taken out of context. Christ even warns against this as it is part of the sermon on the mount to the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. It belongs to the citizens of the kingdom and He preaches this against the Pharisees. It also has to do with prayer (proceeding our text.) What s the connection between this and the golden rule? God gives to you and I things that we do NOT deserve out of the bounties of His grace the things we are least deserving of and ought to be reflected in our relationship with our fellow man! This is the very heart and soul of the commandments both in the first and the second table of the law as the entire law says Christ is kept in our love for the neighbor! Honor, love, fidelity that we show to the neighbor which are the positive requirements of the law of God! That is the law and the prophets! The Lord underscores everything and says "whatsoever you would have men do to you so do to them for this is the law and the prophets!"

Requirement: This is theology. The world are under the bondage of sin. They stand in enmity against God and the neighbor even though made in the image of God. The mercies are given for selfish reasons with the attitude of "what comes around goes around." Exactly the opposite of the commandments of God note! We too have this struggle though different that the world in the realm of sanctification. We come to the heart of the law which is "love me and the neighbor!" O wretched men and women we are! Often we find one foot in the world do we not? How wrong. Do not look at the neighbor. We often look at the neighbor and we decide what he deserves and the love leaves. Christ turns this around and we must ask ourselves "who am I to be a recipient of God and His blessings? And when we do that we see that we are TOTALLY undeserving and then look at the neighbor who is in my place making it the principal of how I deal with the neighbor!

Fruit: Then we will begin to keep the law of God! God had mercy on me in His loving-kindness and so must I deal with the neighbor. Those who live by this demand will be taken advantage of but to know that "You are in My heart" you will have fellowship that is sweet.