01.11.2026 Sunday Sermon – Rev. Jeungbok Lee
Scripture: Matthew 7:12; Galatians 5:14
Title: The Way to Love Our Neighbor
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Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Galatians 5:14
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
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Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” is commonly called the Golden Rule and is often used as an independent proverb.
However, when we read this verse within the flow of the context of Matthew chapter 7, we discover that it carries far more meaning than when it is used independently.
Today, I will preach on this passage in light of its contextual flow.
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1. The connection between the prohibition “Do not judge” (7:1–5) and the command “Do to others” (7:12)
1.1)
Both the command not to judge and the exhortation to treat others speak about how we relate to others.
The command not to judge can be understood as a passive way of relating to others. In contrast, the command to treat others is an active way of relating to them.
Everyone prefers to be respected and loved rather than criticized.
Therefore, Jesus teaches us to use our own desire to be respected and loved as a mirror, and to move toward an active life in which we first practice love and respect toward others.
Even when a brother makes a mistake, rather than criticizing him, we are to draw nearer and show love and respect more intentionally. That, after all, is what we ourselves desire others to do for us.
1.2)
The disciples were taught, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”
On the surface, this teaching seems to suggest that all actions should begin with oneself as the standard. Likewise, “Love your neighbor as yourself” also appears to emphasize oneself as the standard.
Why, then, does Jesus instruct us to examine what is good for ourselves first and then apply it to others?
The reason is that our sinful nature, corrupted by sin, always thinks of itself first and evaluates everything in a self-advantageous way. As a result, we are poor at recognizing the good in others, but very quick to notice and criticize their faults. We are also largely incapable of deeply considering others’ needs or showing them true respect.
Ironically, however, people desire respect rather than criticism when it comes to their own mistakes. In this same way, we are instructed to treat others with the same attitude of wanting to be respected ourselves.
In 1997, U.S. News & World Report published a survey that clearly demonstrated humanity’s self-centered bias.
The survey asked: “Which of the following individuals is most likely to go to heaven?”
Surprisingly, respondents rated themselves as more likely to go to heaven than figures widely revered for their moral character.
6th: Bill Clinton (52%)
5th: Princess Diana (60%)
4th: Colin Powell (61%)
3rd: Michael Jordan (65%)
2nd: Mother Teresa (79%)
1st: The respondent themselves (87%)
If people were to treat others with the same favorable evaluation they give themselves, our society would be in a far better state than it is now.
1.3)
On the other hand, because of our self-centered and biased sinful nature, we may treat others in ways that cause discomfort.
As God’s people, we have good intentions and a desire to help others. Yet sometimes the way we “help” actually damages the relationship. This happens because we offer help based on our own convenience rather than in a way that is appropriate for the recipient.
If we explain this through Matthew 7:1–5, it is because we have a plank in our own eye (sin) that we treat others not in the way we would want to be treated, but in the way that is easiest for us.
When I was serving as an assistant pastor, there was a deacon in the church who only bought the finest foods. She purchased mosi rice cakes made by the most famous artisan in Korea and drank only tea made from young barley sprouts. She also brought back other famous and expensive foods from Korea.
Every time she returned to Madison from Korea, she asked me to pick her up. When I drove her home, she would give me rice cakes and foods made by well-known people. The problem was that in order to make room in her refrigerator for the newly brought food, she gave me food she had brought the previous year. She always emphasized how good and expensive those foods were.
If I had been the only one eating them, I might have been satisfied even with food that had been frozen for a year. However, at that time I did not feel grateful. The reason was that I could not give that food to my children.
There is no doubt that she intended to treat others generously. However, because the food was given for her own convenience, it was not a form of care that considered the recipient’s situation. Had she first considered whether she herself would give long-frozen food to her own young children, she would not have given it to me.
1.4)
There are many ways to treat others, and even in similar situations, different approaches may be required.
It may be a meal. It may be a small gift and a note of encouragement, or a kind smile. Covering someone’s small but embarrassing mistake can also be a form of kindness. Listening silently can be an excellent way of caring. In some cases, rather than doing anything, holding someone’s hand and sincerely saying, “I will pray for you,” can be the most comforting gift.
A truly satisfying act of kindness must be something that satisfies the recipient. At the very least, it begins with something that would also satisfy us. It does not require grand gestures, nor actions beyond our capacity. Rather, it is done with the grace we have received from God, within the people and circumstances God has given us.
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2. When connected to prayer in 7:7–11:
Because those who ask God receive good things from Him, “you also should do to others.”
2.1)
In Matthew 7:7–11, Jesus makes it clear that God the Father gives the best things to His children who ask Him. The word “Therefore” at the beginning of verse 12 is grounded in the Father’s abundant and gracious response to His children.
Those who ask recognize their lack and do not stop asking. Those who seek are confident that the Father will give what they seek. Those who knock trust that the Father will open the door. Children who pray persistently and in various ways receive good things abundantly from their Father.
Only those who have received such abundance through prayer gain both the margin in their hearts and the practical ability to treat others generously. This is the key point. God’s children must first experience satisfaction that comes from receiving from God. Only then can they treat others. And that treatment flows from what is most satisfying to themselves.
2.2)
However, there is something those who treat others must be careful about.
Expecting to be repaid by the person you have treated kindly is a deeply misguided attitude.
Scripture never teaches that those we help will repay us in the same way. The Bible never instructs us to show kindness in order to receive compensation. Therefore, if we expect something in return from the person we helped, we have misunderstood today’s passage. God promises that He Himself will reward those who give.
Matthew 25:40
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Proverbs 19:17
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Our acts of kindness are possible because they are grounded in the abundance of grace we have received from God. Even the reward for our kindness does not come from those we help. God the Father Himself promises to repay us.
In summary, God freely and abundantly gives us good things, and we, with what we have received from Him, treat others without expecting anything in return. Yet the gracious God does not stop there. He promises to pour out even greater grace on His people who care for others.
If you desire to receive double the grace from God, I encourage you to treat others even more generously with good things. This is what we call the logic of grace.
Therefore, even if the person you helped disregards you or acts as if it were expected, you can remain thankful without disappointment or discouragement. You can be confident that God Himself is receiving your good deeds. Because of this, we can continue joyfully sharing the grace we have received with others.
This is a foundational principle of Christian generosity.
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3. The meaning of the phrase, “This is the Law and the Prophets”
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “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.”
Now, in Matthew 7:12, He concludes His sermon by saying, “This is the Law and the Prophets.”
Thus, the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7) is framed by the phrase “the Law and the Prophets.” If we compress the high standards of discipleship presented in these chapters—such as loving enemies and refraining from judgment—into a single sentence, it is this: to treat others with love. This is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
The practice that fulfills the Law and the Prophets is precisely this command: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” Those who live this way become participants in Jesus’ work of fulfilling the Law. Likewise, we too can participate in Christ’s work by living as people who treat others with love.
Galatians 5:14
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
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4. Conclusion
The practical application of the command, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” is as follows:
God’s children, who have received God’s abundance, must not stop at being satisfied with full pockets. Instead, they must participate in Jesus’ work of fulfilling the Law and the Prophets by extending hands of generosity and love to others.
Therefore, when God’s children live stingy lives, it is an act of disobedience to God’s Word. Moreover, it becomes a confession that says, “I have received no grace from God.”
Thus, the command to love your neighbor as yourself and the exhortation to treat others are one and the same in practice. God’s children must live out this command and reveal to the world that they belong to God. This has always been the guiding principle for the lives of all God’s people, both in the Old and New Testaments.
Let us pray. (End)