The Golden Rule

A study of Matthew 7:12 in the series on the Sermon on the Mount. It presents the Golden Rule as a command that applies in every situation and to every person, equivalent to loving one’s neighbor as oneself, as shown in the parable of the good Samaritan. It argues that the rule requires empathy and imagination but must go beyond them to action, in contrast with earlier negative versions of the saying. It describes the verse as a summary of the law and the prophets and of the Sermon on the Mount, a reflection of the Father’s generosity, and something God empowers His children to carry out. The sermon closes with an invitation to repent and be baptized to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.