The Jesus Rule
Sunday, September 6, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Matthew 7:12
Christ showed how He would treat others when He displayed His love for mankind on Calvary.
The name Cecil Rhodes might not ring a bell with you, but many people in the world wear his diamonds in their jewelry. Mr. Rhodes founded the De Beers Diamond Company and was one of the richest men of his time. As many businessmen do, he soon turned his interest to politics and became the Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (South Africa). He was so well-known and widely respected that the state of Rhodesia in Africa was named after him (Rhodesia later split into two states and is now known as Zambia and Zimbabwe). As his earnings grew, so did his contributions. He founded the Rhodes Scholarship, a program that grants certain students from territories under British rule, formerly under British rule, or Germany to study, free of charge, at Oxford University.
But among all his titles and accomplishments, Cecil Rhodes was known for some of his more peculiar traits. For example, Mr. Rhodes was very peculiar about his dress and the dress of those around him. He believed in dressing well and emanating an air of dignity wherever he went. One night, at a dinner party he was hosting, a gentleman showed up in a dirty, unpressed suit. While all in attendance were shocked, no one knew what had happened to this man. Receiving the invitation to the event, this man boarded a train to travel the great distance to Mr. Rhodes' home. Because of the length of his journey, he planned to travel in an older suit and change once he reached his destination since he was scheduled to be a bit early. He had miscalculated the length of the train ride and arrived at the event as everyone else was mingling. Rather than accost him, throw him out, or treat him harshly, Mr. Rhodes, not knowing the circumstances that caused the man's inappropriate outfit, made his own entrance to the party in an old blue suit. You see, Mr. Rhodes had seen the man come in, and not wanting to embarrass him, he had switched into an older suit of his own. Mr. Rhodes put aside his personal belief, and treated this guest with kindness.
We've all grown up hearing the golden rule-"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." While that phrase isn't in the Bible, our verse today teaches us that very rule: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
We teach our children to be kind to others, share with others, and be courteous in their actions; yet as adults we can ignore those same teachings. We yell at the car who cuts us off, complain about the wait time at the grocery store, gripe about a coworker; all while teaching our children to treat others as they would want to be treated.
Perhaps, better than the Golden Rule would be the Jesus Rule-Do unto others as Jesus would do unto them. In essence, treat others the way Christ would treat them were He in your spot. Would Christ yell at someone on the freeway, complain about the shopper with too many items in the express lane, gripe about the "incompetence" of a coworker?
Sometimes it's good to step back and see things how God sees them. He sent His only Son to die on the Cross for you, that person who cut you off, the shopper at the grocery store, your coworker, and everyone around you. God loves them just as much as He loves you, yet how do you treat them?
The next time you become upset, agitated, annoyed, or stressed, take a minute to remember the Jesus rule. Ask yourself, "How would Christ treat this person?" and ask God for the help to treat others as He would treat them.
