Love All 2 - Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28-34

The Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a 'rule' that all of us learned in grade school. It is something that parents and teachers use in a variety of ways to help our children develop empathy and kindness.

Despite the way we use the "Golden Rule" for others, we don't always follow it ourselves. I like to be given the benefit of the doubt. I like to be respected. I like to be treated with compassion. Yet all too often, I find myself assuming others set out to hurt my feelings. I lose my temper and am disrespectful to my husband and son. I don't always feel compassion for the various losses and wounds that others have received in this life.

Jesus is reminding us to move beyond our egocentric viewpoint in this passage. Our human nature is to focus on ourselves: our victories and our losses, our real or imagined hurts, our joys and our disappointments. It is so easy for us to live for ourselves instead of others.

Jesus was born for us, not for himself. Jesus lived for us, not for himself. Jesus died for us, not for himself.

How can we honor the one whose name we bear unless we, too, live for others?
When you show love today to someone you find unlovely (either in the moment or most of the time) try to see life from their point of view and try to see yourself through their eyes.

Almighty God, help us to treat everyone the way we want to be treated, no matter how provoking or disgusting we find them. Help us remember that we are all your children and therefore loved and valued equally by You. Amen.

CS