This one verse, Matthew 7:12, known as the golden rule, is one of the most famous verses in Scripture. What does it really tell us about how to love others?
Sermon Outline
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
Living with Love for Others
- Echoes in the Gospel of Matthew
- Echoes in the Scriptures
- Echoes in other sources
- The resounding positivity of Jesus’ command
In Everything
- Our actions
- Our words
- Our thoughts
- Our non-thoughts
Living in Love as Jesus’ Disciples
- We need to live in God’s love for us.
- We need to cultivate God’s love for others.
- We need to let God change us more and more through His love.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- 1. When have you been most challenged to love someone else? Why was it so challenging?
- We continue our series, “Becoming Real,” on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount by exploring Jesus’ pithy statement in Matthew 7:12. Begin your study in prayer by asking God to speak to you through His Word and then, whether you are alone or with a group, read that passage aloud.
- What do you think it means to treat people positively as you would want to be treated “in everything”?
- Many Bible scholars see this as the conclusion of the teaching portion of the Sermon on the Mount before Jesus calls the hearers to a decision of response in 7:13-28. Look back through the Sermon on the Mount—specifically 5:3-12; 5:16-20; and 5:43-48. How does this statement summarize all that has come before?
- What do you find most challenging about this teaching?
- This statement has echoes in other portions of Scripture. Take a moment to read the following portions of Scripture and then consider how they relate to Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:12: Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:34-40; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14.
- How do you think the call to treat others as we would want to be treated relates to our calling as the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” in Matthew 5:13-16?
- What is one thing God is speaking to you through this study? If you’re on your own, write that down and pray over that this week. If you are with a small group, share your answers with one another before closing in prayer.
DIG DEEPER
- Memorize Matthew 7:12 this week.
- Take time to pray through your relationships (e.g., friends, spouse, family members, coworkers, neighbors, classmates), asking God to help you love them more fully. Then consider people you find it difficult to love, whether in these relationships or not. Ask God to change your heart and help you put love into action.
- Put love into action this week by spending time with or serving someone in a practical way: make a meal, stop by to visit, make a phone call, listen, help with a project, or some other way.
- Consider reading an article with background on this passage by John J. Collins, “Love Your Neighbor: How It Became the Golden Rule”