“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12, NKJV).
Long before that day 2000 years ago that Jesus spoke to the multitudes in the mountains of Judea, there was on the earth the concept of ethical reciprocity. Christ took that and stood it on its head.
For most of human history, from the Garden to the Incarnation, society argued that it made sense NOT doing to others what you would not want them doing to you. This, of course, left open the option of retaliation in kind, or worse, when the deed done to you was not of your liking. The ancient "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" stipulation imposed the constraint of not investing in any overreaction, but that was for Israel, not for the surrounding Gentile Nations.
Jesus' brilliant formulation, applicable to the entire world, accomplished more than anything prior to it. It was proactive and positive. There were no loopholes or loose ends; all contingencies were taken into account. The command was DO, instead of refrain from doing. And the initial premise was fueled by the open-ended context of "whatever you want men to do to you."
Do you want to be treated kindly? Treat others kindly. Do you want to be forgiven, then be forgiving. Do you want the benefit of a doubt in being judged, then judge others the same way. Do you want grace, then be gracious. Do you want truth in relationship and business, then be truthful yourself. This was stunning and comprehensive. It was proaction, not reaction. It cut evil off before the cycle could begin, and it is EXACTLY how the Lord treats us.
Note too, He prefaces the statement with "Therefore". It is the logical follow-up to what has gone before, from the start of Chapter 5 through this moment in His teaching. Because of all that He has already taught about what constitutes true righteousness, about our hypocrisy and about God's indescribable goodness, He says, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…".
And to those inclined to follow a nice, neat checklist of acceptable behaviors, rituals, and ceremonial activities in their own strength, Christ strips them of all comfort. From the 1st century Jews of His time adhering pridefully to the outward provisions of the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament, to present day legalists who follow some man-made church tradition, He is saying simply that every act of goodness is summed up in this one statement. Anything and everything else is hypocrisy.
This is why the infant church born after His resurrection was accused of turning the world upside down. This is why Christianity has changed the course of all human history. Our King established the foundation of His Kingdom on, not the outward, but the thoughts and intents of the heart; standard of conduct impossible to meet without His indwelling Spirit.
If this doesn't make you uncomfortable, then perhaps I have not been sufficiently clear. Unless you become completely dependent on His righteousness and accept His free gift of salvation, you will NOT enter into the KIngdom. From a practical sense, it means you stop being mostly you, and become mostly Him in you.
