Living by the Rule that is Golden

What rules should we live by? How do we live out this Christian life? Most people think of the 10 commandments – and that is a really good place to start – but if you check out Levitcus, you will find that in all, according to the Interpreter's Bible. Moses had given 613 commandments, David had reduced them to eleven (Psalm 15:2-5), Isaiah to six (Isaiah 33:15), Micah to three (Micah 6:8) Amos to two (Amos 5:4), and Habakkuk to one (Habakkuk 2:4).

I thought it would be an interesting train of thought to pursue, so I decided to turn to the texts. I'm willing to take the commentators' word for the total of 613 commandments given by Moses, so I went quickly on to Psalm 15

He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

These are good suggestions for moral conduct. There were more, however, than I was able to remember easily, so I turned to Isaiah, only to discover that his six conditions were very similar to the Psalm, although more brief: "The man who lives an upright life and speaks the truth, who scorns to enrich himself by extortion, who refuses a bribe, who will not listen to talk about bloodshed, who closes his eyes to the sight of evil—that is the man who shall dwell on the heights." Admirable as that verse may be, it is a little bit long for easy memory.

When I arrived at Micah, I felt on more secure ground. The text has a familiar ring to it: "what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

This passage has the venerable distinction of being a summary of the messages of three prophets: Justice—that's from Amos; mercy—from Hosea; humility—the essential quality preached by Isaiah. Aldous Huxley called these words from Micah, "the profound definition of religion." But we are not finished. Our rabbi said that Amos had reduced the commandments to two. We had best look at that. Amos 5:15 is simple enough: "Hate evil and love good."

Last in our rabbi's list is the prophet Habakkuk, who reduced the demands of the Law to this: "The righteous will live by being faithful [to God]" (Habakkuk 2:4). Paul must have liked that because he quotes it in his letter to the Romans (1:17), and again in Galatians (3:11). "The righteous shall live by faith."

Jesus Himself answers the question, "What shall I do?"

So, with all this interest in a summary of the Law, it is no wonder that when we turn to the New Testament (Mark 12:28-34) we find a scribe greatly interested in what Jesus would say in answer to the question: "Which commandment is the first of all?" [That's just another way of saying, "What should I do?"]

Jesus answers with the familiar words from Deuteronomy 6:5 that began the Shema. This scripture was used as the call to worship in the Temple, was inscribed on small pieces of vellum carried in small boxes that the most orthodox Jews attached to their forehead and forearm when they prayed, and was rolled up inside the mezuzah affixed to every doorframe. The words are these: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." Jesus was on the firm ground of Jewish tradition when he said that these words were the first commandment. There was not one person in the audience who would have thought otherwise. Then Jesus added the words from Leviticus 19:18: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."The scribe responds with enthusiasm: "Well said, Teacher. You are right."

Jesus, in turn, appreciates the spirit shown in the scribe's response and closes the conversation with the remark: "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Jesus' secret of the abundant life lies in a change of heart, an inward transformation that causes an outward reformation of behavior. He puts these thoughts into concrete actions with the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Luke 6:31; Matthew 7:12).

If we could only begin living by the Golden Rule the world would be a far better place. Why don't you try it in your own life and the place where you live?