Treat others as you would like them to treat you

Fr Paul says we are winding down towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount in today’s Gospel (Matthew 7: 6, 12-14) in which we hear one verse, then skip over five verses that talk about asking, seeking and knocking.

The reason for this, suggests Fr Paul, is that we jump straight to the Golden Rule, which is a summary of the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. To ‘treat others as you would like them to treat you’ is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets. This Golden Rule is found not just in our scriptures, but also found in many ancient cultures and religions. By leaving out the five verses, the Golden Rule is literally at the centre of our Gospel today.

This Gospel is followed by a series of parables about what happens if we do (or don’t) follow the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. Often in Matthew, the parables are a series of contrasts. We will hear more about them in coming days.

For our prayer today, Fr Paul says we might reflect on the Golden Rule and ask ourselves, ‘How is the Golden Rule a guiding principle in my life and in my dealings with others?’