And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise (Luke 6:31).
Not even prayer can save the person who lives carelessly. Pray that God would help you be saved, but you yourself must labor, do good works as much as you can. This is why the Lord, after He said, ask, seek, and knock, now gives us a general rule as to how a Christian needs to live—a rule that exegetists of God’s word justly call the golden rule: As ye would that men should do to you—and of course, you want people to love you, that they would all do good to you—do ye also to them likewise; you also should do only good to each and all. Do you want others to be charitable to you, to bless you, to pray for you, and forgive you all of your missteps—everyone, even your enemies? Then you do the same. In general, whatever you desire from others, do yourself. This is what it means to love your enemies like yourself. And If people would fulfill this rule of Christ’s, then there would be no offenses, no court cases, no theft, no murder, no discord, no wars, no poverty. This is the truth of Christ, which is understandable and beneficial to everyone!..
“In these brief words,” says St. Chrysostom, “the Savior has shown that virtue is brief, convenient, and known to all. He did not say, ‘Whatever you want from God, do the same to your neighbor,’ so that you would not protest and say, ‘How is that possible? He is God, but I am a man.’ But He pronounced, ‘What you want from your equal, do that yourself to your neighbor.’ What could be simpler than this? What could be more just?” For in this is both the law and the prophets—this is not an essentially new rule. This was taught in the Old Testament Law, in the Prophets, and the very law of human nature. Virtue is inherent in man; we know from our conscience what to do, so we can’t justify ourselves by pleading ignorance. Even the pagan sages, who did not know the true God, said, “Do not do to others what you yourself would not desire.” This law is inscribed by God’s finger on the hearts of all people. “The human soul is Christian by nature,” says Tertullian. The holy fathers who understood the whole grace-filled power of this rule through experience, said, “Life and death depends on your neighbor.” But even though virtue is so natural and close to the human heart, it nevertheless cannot be obtained without sorrows and temptations, which seem unbearable to our sinful nature. This is why the Lord says, enter in through the narrow gate.
