This verse is often called the Golden Rule. Many of us grew up with our parents saying “do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And it really is the gold standard of behavior for us in relation to other people. Would you want someone to open the door for you when you have both hands full and aren’t sure you can do it without dropping everything? Would you like someone to let you go first in the check out line when you have one item and they have a full basket?
Would you like for someone to give you grace when you are having a bad day and did not respond to them graciously? Would you like for someone to love you and forgive you when you totally messed up?
The answer to all of these questions is yes. So, do those things for others.
Jesus said this rule sums up the Law and the Prophets. Leviticus 19:18 says to “love your neighbor as yourself”. The Law tells us many things we are not to do to our neighbors as well as things we are to do. All of these things can be corollaries to the Golden Rule.
When I was a little boy, my mother would often say "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". After a while, she could just say "do unto others" and I knew what she meant. There are many rules of behavior in the Bible, but the Golden Rule is a great guide.
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