The Kingdom Rule

Around 10 B.C.E. Shammai and Hillel were leaders of competing Pharisaic rabbinic schools. Many of their disputes concerned the way Jews were supposed to observe the Torah.

Hillel was known for his gentle character, humility, and patience, and is often contrasted with his more stern contemporary, Shammai

Hillel is said to have immigrated as a young adult from Babylonia to Jerusalem where He quickly rose to prominence, and according to tradition after solving a problem concerning the Passover offering that no one else could settle he became the leader (nāśı̂ʾ) of the entire movement.

Shammai was somewhat of a legalist. Shammai held to strict, elitist, temple-oriented, and nationalistic interpretations of the Torah.

Hillel was considered to be a bit more of a liberal, and he became one of the most popular and influential Jewish thinkers of the era.

“On another occasion it happened that a certain heathen came before Shammai and said to him, ‘Make me a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.’ Thereupon he repulsed him with the builder’s cubit which was in his hand. When he went before Hillel, he said to him, ‘What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.’”

Hillel the Elder “the silver rule”

The challenge of Hillel’s silver rule falls short of Jesus’ similar summery of the OT law, but the silver rule can be accomplished by not doing anything, whereas Jesus calls his followers towards positive actions. Let’s read and see.

Matthew 7:12–27 ESV

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

In Matthew 7:12 we find “the golden rule,” which is Jesus’ summary of the sermon on the mount. There are verbal bookends in Matthew 5:17 “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” and Matthew 7:12 “12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

while we consider what this golden rule means, let us not gloss over it as something too familiar. Here is how our culture has turned this rule on its head. “Do unto me as I want you to.”

Our culture is “me” focused, and the Kingdom rule calls us to be others focused first without demand for recompense. Summaries are good because they give us new categories to think with. So, let’s quickly go through three practical uses of this Kingdom rule.

In our actions towards others, let us consider

The What

The how

The why

So, it looks like this, “in my actions towards my coworkers or classmates what would I like them to do for me?” It probably looks like a handshake for greeting, being listening to when you’re speaking, being prompt for work etc.

But now that Jesus has given us a helpful summary after giving us many specific examples, we now know that it isn’t just the “What” or actions we take that matter, but also the “How?”

So, our argument comes back to our daily lives by asking “how would I like the people I live with to treat me?” Probably with curtesy, kindness, respect, encouragement, listening. For you can certainly say “good morning” and be a grump while shaking their hand. Likewise you can ask your children to take out the trash and at least MY tone can become exasperated. It’s not just the what you say or do, it’s how you say and do it.

Finally, our instructions from Jesus that He gave us in summarizing the Sermon on the mount helps us to remember it’s not just the “what?” you do, the “how?” you do it, it’s the “why?”

Why are you saying good morning with a smile and a handshake? If it’s anything except the love of God that you have in Christ that is then extended to others, then our “What?” and “how?” fall short of meeting the Golden rule.

do unto others in the way and for the reason that you would have them do unto you.

Can you imagine the cultural impact to Kirksville if everyone from Grace Church started actually loving everyone we come into contact with? I’m opening the door for you. How? with Kindness and respect. Why? Because God has given me HIS love for YOU!

Jesus clarifies this later on with his great commandment in Matthew 22:36–40 “36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.””

“One’s spiritual identity is determined not by what one says but by what one does, because what one does inexorably reveals one’s heart”-David Turner

Liberalism discounts the law. Legalism demands obedience to the law. Jesus transforms our hearts to love and follow His law. ~PBJ

Matthew a. Two Gates/Ways (7:13–14)

Those who take the easy road find to their horror that it leads to the most difficult destination imaginable. But those who take the difficult path of the kingdom arrive joyously in the kingdom to experience life with the Father

Liberalism discounts the law. Legalism demands obedience to the law. How/when does your heart tend towards each?

Have you stopped to consider, “What kind of fruit am I producing?”

what does it look like for you to build your life on the rock of Jesus?