I fielded an interesting call from a young woman with questions about biblical texts this week. Texts such as Matthew 13 (the parables of yeast being used to leaven flour and the mustard seed growing to a tree to shelter birds), the book of Revelation and the account of Adam and Eve in the garden.
I felt a little bit like I was being interviewed and went on at some length about symbols/contexts/ancient cultures and scholarly work on biblical interpretation, but I wish I’d just quoted our sentence for this coming Sunday:
Do to others as you would have them do to you. Love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Luke 6:31,35
What is often called The Golden Rule; do to others as you would have them do to you, is common to many of the world’s religions and inspired by the results from the Australian Census 2021 released last week that showed a diversity of religious belief in our land – a reminder:
Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
Confucianism: Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one’s whole life? Surely the maxim of lovingkindness is such – Do not do unto others what you would not they should do unto you.
Hebraism. What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man. That is the whole of the Torah and the remainder is but commentary. Go learn it.
Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do naught to others which if done to you, would cause you pain.
Islam: No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
Jainism: We should regard all creatures as we regard our own self, and should therefore refrain from inflicting upon others such injury as would appear undesirable to us if inflicted upon ourselves.
Sikhism: As thou deemest thyself so deem others. Then shalt thou become a partner in heaven.
Taoism: Regard your neighbour’s gain as you own gain: and regard your neighbour’s loss as your own.
Zoroastrianism: That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not food for its own self.
Luke’s Jesus goes into explicit detail as to how the Golden Rule plays out in God’s kingdom:
1. Love your enemies
2. Do good
3. Lend, expecting nothing in return
How we do this? I would suggest that this is truly only possible with God’s help…..
Blessings
Ceri
