Why the Golden Rule Does Not Work
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” looks great on paper (Mt 7:12). It might even be recognized by other religions in the world, as good advice for a better life and a better world. There is a practical problem with every law established by God or man: sinful man.
Philosophers and theologians can quote endless rules and laws that would make life and the world better. The incessant problem is the failure of sinful man to comply with the wisdom issued by the sage. Men are sinners, not rule-keepers.
A number of years back, I greeted the new tenants taking up residence in the apartment below us. My first greeting came with pleasantries at the rear of a U-Haul trailer. I asked about the origin of the move, and I was informed their journey began in Tampa, Florida. The military move became obvious with the crew haircut and recognizable military posturing. It was the second encounter, as I went to walk our dog, that the airman actually identified herself as, “Suzy.” She was then able to introduce me to her wife, “Rebecca.”
Clearly, Rebecca was not man enough to shoulder the sofa up the stairs, so I offered my moving services to Suzy. We successfully got these two women moved into their new apartment. Why help these two openly reprobate lesbian lovers? The reason was that soon enough they would know that our family is Christian. Our “light-in-love” would speak more to them than our “light-in-the-law” approach to them. All have sinned and broken the law of God. “Sinners helping sinners,” was my motto with my opportunistic neighborliness.
Is now the time to show separatism? Is this the manner in which we separate holy from unholy, or godly from ungodly? True separatism is breaking the rule of separation. The law of separation is what the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted. They pranced around pretending they had cornered the market on godly living. They let others know about it, too. Jesus was clearly not impressed.
The arrogance of any human being, to feel superior to another, is the foul sin of pride. Religious people are notorious sinners in this way, whether they don a business suit on Sunday, a skull cap on Saturday, or remove their shoes on Friday.
What would get Suzy and Rebecca thinking and talking about Jesus faster? Was it the bigot in the apartment above, or the same big-hearted helper in time of need? They will glorify your Father in heaven, when they see your good works (Mt 5:16). Love of neighbor separates stereotypes. Do Suzy and Rebecca need to see the Law or the Christ? Well, both, but the Law cannot save them. Christ, if He wills, can save them from their sinful lifestyle, and I suspect they know they are living in sin. They did not need me to remind them of that, but I presumed they might have asked about the hope that is within me at some point.
Lesbians are looking for love in all the wrong places. So were the adulterers across the landing from the lesbians. The fornicators in the ground level apartment also lived across their landing from the old woman, who cursed the name of Christ when anything went wrong. One thing is sure. Our six apartments had sinners in them, who all needed a Savior. Some of us had received His grace and forgiveness, and our desire, as believers, was to make Him, and this fact of forgiveness, known.
The Golden Rule cannot manifest authentically, unless the love of Christ enters the complex relationships of an apartment complex…first. If we are all sinners without a Savior, then we will politely try to live the Golden Rule with one another, that is, until something goes awry, and it always does because we are all sinners. The Golden Rule simply does not work without the love of Christ operating between two parties.
Instead of failing at the untenable zenith of the law and prophets, it is our task, as Christians, to live Christ with each of our neighbors, regardless of their sins, hidden or promoted. Being a Spirit-filled Christian holds the very first promise that the Golden Rule can work. After all, I would want my neighbors to bear witness to me, of a Savior, who actually saves.
In conclusion, the law of Christ, which is the law of love must take precedent over the law of Moses, which is known somewhat in nature, culture, and society. Stated another way, guilty sinners know the truth about sin and guilt, but they practically deny the truth about themselves.
What they do not know is the truth about the grace of Christ. A glimpse of Christ could change everything; therefore, I loved my lesbian neighbors, as I did my sinful self because I have knowledge of the Savior, which hopefully affected them both in some way.
I did unto them, what I would hope they would always do unto me, if our roles were reversed. My hope is that someday soon, we can practice the Golden Rule in a relationship where it actually has the potential to work. Pray for Suzy and Rebecca and for me, if you are so led because that is what we would do for you, if we all knew better.
David Norczyk
Hood River, Oregon
July 27, 2021
