About 50 years before Jesus’ time, two famous rabbis were competing for the future of Judaism. One, Rabbi Shammai, was an engineer known for the strictness of his views. The Talmud - that is, the authoritative commentary on the Hebrew scriptures - tells that a gentile came to Shammai and told him that he would convert to Judaism if Shammai could teach him the whole Torah in the time that he could stand on one foot. Shammai drove him away with a builder's measuring stick! Rabbi Hillel, on the other hand, converted the gentile by telling him, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it.”
Well, by the time Jesus came along Shammai’s followers - the really strict ones, who had absolutely no time for Gentiles - had pretty much won the day. Hillel was just too easy on those Gentiles; why, everybody knew that there were 623 laws that you had to obey, laws about what you could and couldn’t eat, laws about what you couldn’t do on the Sabbath, laws about what you had to give to the temple, enough laws to make you dizzy. How could you possibly sum it all up in one little sentence?
Even if they had remembered what Hillel had said, they might have thought to themselves, “That’s Jesus for you. Taking everything just a little bit too far.”
Because Jesus didn’t quote Rabbi Hillel. Just a little earlier in this passage, He said that the righteousness of his disciples had to surpass that of the Pharisees. When the scribe asked him “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [Mk 12:28-31] You see, all Hillel said you had to do was to refrain from doing harm. Basically, don’t be rude, don’t be mean, don’t be dishonest. But Jesus said, “No. That’s not enough.”
You can do what Hillel required just by staying home and minding your own business. But that’s not good enough for Jesus. That’s not good enough for his disciples. In order to follow Jesus, you have to love people, which takes effort. It takes initiative. You have to go out and meet people. You have to see them, touch them, talk to them, find out what they need and then do something about it.
Now, you might say, “Well, all I want is for people to leave me alone. So when Jesus says, ‘do to others as you would have them do to you’, that’s what I do. I leave them alone. And of course you have a point. But we can’t leave it there, because of course the whole thrust of the Sermon on the Mount is to learn to be like Jesus. And he certainly didn’t stay at home and leave people alone! Remember that wonderful passage in Philippians,
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." [Phil 2:5-8]
Jesus certainly didn’t need for himself what he gave to the world. Jesus didn’t need to be rescued. But - and this is the key - if he had needed to be rescued, he would have wanted someone to rescue him. Right? If we were to take that objection literally, we would never give someone a glass of water unless we ourselves were thirsty, which is manifestly absurd. So the lesson is, that we are to do for others as we would like someone to do for us if we were in their shoes.
Now, in this politically correct age, some people are trying to take this rule another step. The idea now is, that we are to treat other people the way they want to be treated. And on the surface, that sounds good, doesn’t it?
But think about it. Far too often, what people want isn’t what is good for them. From alcohol to candy to R-rated movies, people want to be left in their sins - until the consequences begin to overwhelm them. And even then, far too often people manage to convince themselves that whatever bad has happened to them is someone else’s fault, not the result of their own bad decisions. In fact, most of the time they want to be told that what they’re doing isn’t sinful at all. We’re in the culture of everything goes: “I’m ok, you’re ok.” Tolerance is king and the only sin is to have firm standards of right and wrong. Love equals affirmation.
But that’s not what Jesus is asking for, either.
Because the assumption Jesus is making is that, if you are his disciple, you would want what God wants. You would want what is for your good, according to God’s standards of what is good. Now, this is getting a little more complicated than it sounded at first, isn’t it?
What have we learned so far?
First, this is an active commandment. Do unto others. We have to do something.
Second, we have to exercise our imaginations. Remember, we’re supposed to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. To do that, we have to pay attention to those around us, to respect them, to see them as people just like us - only in different circumstances.
Third, we have to do what is right, not what is easy. And that means we have to be ready to practice godly habits in a godless culture - because if we were lost and needed rescuing, wouldn’t we want someone to show us a different way?
Now, this does not mean that we are being told to go around prying into people’s personal business and telling them what they’re doing wrong. Does that work for you? No, what we have to do is what Peter told us – "Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame." [1 Pet 3:13-16]
Let me shift gears now for a moment.
We’ve been looking at what it is that we’re supposed to do. I’d like us to think instead about why we’re supposed to do it. Of course, we’re supposed to do it because Jesus told us to. But there are side benefits, as well.
First of all, loving people is simply good for you. Love makes your soul grow. Especially if you make the effort to love someone who isn’t what might be called the “natural object of your affections” - like your family and friends.
But love can also changes the environment you live in. Let’s look at what happens when we love someone who is critical - of us, or of some person or idea we hold dear. Jesus has already told us to “Love [our] enemies.” [Mt 5:44] Now, sometimes love actually wins over those who oppose us. But even if it doesn’t, loving people - even difficult people, people who have wronged us and aren’t even sorry - people who may continue to do wrong - loving them keeps us from being poisoned by the conflict. Now, there may be nothing you can do about this person and their behavior but pray for them. But praying for them keeps your soul clean and - who knows - God may turn their hearts around.
OK, what’s another example of loving when it is difficult? Let’s consider charitable giving. Jesus also said, “Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.” [Mt 5:42] Does that mean we should just write a check every time we get a request for charitable donations in the mail? I don’t know about you, but I think I’m on every mailing list in the country. If I gave to everyone who asked I wouldn’t have anything left over for the mortgage.
Remember that this is about loving your neighbor as yourself. So writing off your obligation to your neighbor by just writing a check isn’t enough. What are the circumstances? What is the real need? Will the real need be filled by just a little extra to tide them over or is something deeper required? Do they need a job, a friend, mentoring, what? And what about panhandlers? Is Jesus asking us to empty out our wallets into the hands of the derelict in the bus station?
Again, here we need to be concerned about providing what we would want in their shoes, not necessarily what they are asking for. Know where the Salvation Army or the Rescue Mission is located. Buy a sandwich or a cup of coffee and talk to them. Treat them with dignity and respect.
If you needed help, what would you want more than anything else? I’d want not to have to need help. I’d want to be able to give instead of to receive. Far too often, our giving makes us feel good and the recipient feel small.
It’s a very simple commandment. But it’s very hard to do. Because what Jesus is asking from us is nothing less than what Paul asked of the Christians in Philippi: “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” [Phil 2:3-4]
It can be hard to see others - especially those outside our own immediate circle, or those who are different from us - as being as important and valuable as we are. As hard as it may be to recognize that, when we’re being criticized or importuned or harassed, that other person is our neighbor. Do you recognize yourself in her eyes? Maybe you should.
