The Plumbline

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. (I Peter 3:8) Treat others as you want to be treated has been the "golden rule" for behavior for ages, has it not? So, why is it that we have to be reminded of it so frequently by observing the "bad behavior" of some? Believe it or not, the "Golden Rule" (Luke 6:31) is scriptural and has become the "Ethical Rule" of reciprocity over the ages. Yet, culture seems to struggle with this ...

I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people, and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid. ( Grover Cleveland ) Who rules your heart at this moment in time? If you quickly respond, "Why, God, of course!", then you are among the many who believe they are motivated and governed by the one who made all things. Yet, I have to ask you again to consider for just a moment who it is who really is ruling your heart at this very moment. Chances are you might just say it is this god we refer to as 'fear', or perhaps that other god of 'greed'. A few days back I wrote of a man who traveled hundreds of miles buying up every hand sanitizer he could find on the shelves, all with the intent of selling them on what has become today's 'black market' - online! To his extreme disappointment, he was not able to 'offload' what h...

Do good wherever you go.  After a while, the good you do will come back to you.   (Ecclesiastes 11:1 ERV) From the time I was a kid, I have heard the "golden rule" preached in many different forms, but as many times as it has been "preached" or "taught", it doesn't really "ring true" until I see it demonstrated in the life of another. I think this is how Jesus taught - he showed his love - he didn't just talk about it. He could have said his love was never ending, but until Peter realized his repeated and consistent mess ups didn't affect how much Jesus loved him, he really didn't understand the "rule". He could have smitten each every one of those who spat upon him, beat him, or even shot words of ridicule his way as he went to the cross, but he chose to forgive them, modeling for us how monumentally huge his love is for us. The "rule" is caught more than it is taught! Looking again at our passage, notic...

This is what our Scriptures come to teach: in everything, in every circumstance, do to others as you would have them do to you. (Matthew 7:12 VOICE) Most of us recognize just how truly hard this command actually can be in "real life". It is as though we want to say back to Jesus, "Yeah, but you don't know that other person as well as I do!"  We want them to hurt as bad as we are hurting, or at least a fraction of it! We don't want them getting off "free" of any accountability for their wrong actions. We don't want them to be "pain free". We think there has to be SOME consequence for their bad behavior! The thing Jesus was trying to get across to us is that we wouldn't want God to have that attitude with us - so we shouldn't have that attitude with others. If you came up in church, you probably remember hearing this passage referred to as the "golden rule" somewhere along the line. I even have a ruler I got so...

Even when people don't know they "know" scripture, or that they may be quoting the Bible when they say something, people can be heard sharing tidbits of God's Word with others.  Ever heard anyone recite the "golden rule" without really knowing it was from the Book of Matthew?  The "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" kind thing gets said in many ways, but the "source" of the quote is seldom known.  It was Jesus himself, reminding the crowd who had gathered to hear him preach that their life is made rich when they live by a standard of maybe just a little bit higher than what they see modeled around them in some member so society.  Some might "model" it is okay to return not so kind actions when the actions done "to" them have not been very kind themselves.  I love it whenever I see those who have just the opposite reaction, turning to another in love rather than judgment, giving what they have instead o...

27  “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,   28  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.   29  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.   30  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.   31 Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:27-30) Jesus is speaking these words - the setting or timing of when they were spoken is important to understand.  First, he is under attack from those who should be shouting in joy at his works.  The Pharisees see him "mixing with" common sinners and criticize him terribly, publicly ridiculing him for the company he keeps.  Second, he is criticized for his timing.  He heals on the Sabbath - seen as a "work" by those of Rabbinical teaching.  Their hearts are so "into" the rul...