Tuesday; August 2

Early on in Jesus’ ministry He uttered a very simple concept that really caught on – I mean who hasn’t heard of the Golden Rule? Jesus established the standards by which His people would live, “… treat people the same way you want them to treat you …” (Matthew 7:12). Not only do these words promote good, but they also sound good. However, have you really ever thought about how difficult this can be? I would imagine that when Jesus said this, He was looking into the future and saw the potential stumbling blocks that lay ahead of Him. He was walking headlong on a path that would lead Him to a cross where He would die for the sins of those who nailed Him on it. Wow! Now all of a sudden, these simple words took on a whole new meaning. A little later the Apostle Peter would offer this summary, “… while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (I Peter 2:23-24).
Most of us are familiar with the Golden Rule and are willing to cite it when we advocate morality; however, are we willing to live it when things get difficult? As Christians, we must be willing to follow our Leader – the One who took this philosophy so seriously that He was willing to sacrifice Himself to make sure we understood just how vital it is to care for the people around us.
Think About It!

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