Christmas draws ever nearer. What would you like others to give to you this Christmas? What would you love to have done to you this Christmas?
Looking at recent editions of Jersey Evening Post, a lot of folk have recently been doing harm to others. Fraud, divorce, cheating, burglary, drug pushing, other deeds which are best left unrecorded – none of these would we want to be done to us.
Take a look at the words in bold above. They’re the words of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount in AD 30 – words of instruction to his followers. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
How is this simple commandment - “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” - actually the Law? When Jesus said “the Law” he was, of course, referring to the Mosaic Law of Israel. That Law had at its foundation the Ten Commandments: you shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; and so on. It also underpins UK and Jersey law.
It seems that, if we all only did to others whatever we would wish (desire) to be done to ourselves, we’d refrain from everything which is hurtful in Jersey at present. No one would defraud investors because they would not want to be defrauded themselves. No burglary because I wouldn’t want to be burgled myself. No cheating on my spouse because I don’t want to be cheated on.
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‘Those who go against the grain of God’s Law shouldn’t complain when they get splinters.’ (Anon.)
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None of Jersey’s laws would ever be broken. The Golden Rule, Jesus said, is, truly, the Law.
“Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is ….. the Prophets.” The Prophets to whom Jesus referred had, around 600 to 800 years earlier, promised that a Messiah would come to bring the peace and joy of God to earth. We quote their promises at Christmas.
For instance, the prophet Isaiah wrote around 710 BC: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
Truly this is a promise of heaven on earth at a future date. But how is the Golden Rule of Jesus to his followers, “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” actually the Prophets?
Well, what do you want others to do to you this Christmas? What do you want others to give you this Christmas? Jesus says to his followers, “Go and give that to someone else.” If that really caught on in Jersey what a wonderful Christmas it would be. If totally followed and achieved eventually (as Isaiah predicted 2,700 years ago) it would truly be Heaven On Earth.
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‘If a thief could get into heaven unchanged, he would begin by picking the angels’ pockets.’ (C H Spurgeon, Preacher and Writer, 1834-1892)
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Yes. “This – whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them - this is the Prophets.” But Jesus added some extra words. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
What do you make of those words? Do you think that they might mean that virtually everyone is on an easy way, everyone has gone through a wide gate? On that easy way, all we need do is look after self, get ahead of others, achieve self-happiness. We’re all doing it – it’s an easy way.
If that’s the case, what then do you think is the meaning of the narrow gate? Enter by the narrow gate ... that leads to life. This man Jesus did to others what he would have wanted to be done to him. He saw the lame, the blind, the bereaved, the paralysed, even the dead and he freely gave them what he knew they desperately wanted. Eventually he even gave himself – to bless others. Not many follow Jesus; not many want to. |
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