The Golden Rule

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." 
Luke 6:31

The other day, I was driving on the freeway. I was in the center lane of three. An impatient driver saw that the far left lane was actually going slower than the center lane, so he swerved into the right lane, passed several cars, and then cut directly in front of me, causing me to have to apply the brakes to keep from hitting him. Of course, I muttered to myself and went on my way. No damage, no problem, right?
    Actually, there was a problem. The muttering I did to myself, includes some derogatory things about the driver of the other car. And then, as the Holy Spirit often does, he reminded me of this very scripture. Would I like to be called derogatory names if I had made a mistake? Of course not. I needed to treat the other driver the same way I would like to be treated if I had done it. People make mistakes. Sometimes they are stupid ones, but all of us do it. I have no right to point fingers at anyone.
    This scripture concludes a discourse that Jesus brought to a crowd of people. He told them that he was giving them a new command to love their enemies and pray for them. He said to bless them and not curse. These are things that all of us have heard since we were children. Yet we overlook them. We want to move into the 'deep things' of the faith, but fail in these commands from God himself. I am guilty, are you?
    We need to remember that the foundational truths that Jesus taught are building blocks to the 'deep' things. Every deep truth of God's word is built on the simple, foundational commands of God. We cannot expect to be super spiritual people if we cannot bless a misguided driver, or the slow checkout person at the grocery store, or the over-stressed gas station attendant.
    This is what I love about God. He gives us simple things to do, and then gives us opportunities to respond. Love your enemies? Bless them and not curse? Do good to those who hate us? Can we actually obey these commands? These are radical concepts. Yet, God expects us to follow through on these so he can then bless us with more. We represent Christ on the earth. He loved others with a passion. What kind of example are we?