[This week we hear the Golden Rule in the second part of the Sermon on the Plain in Luke’s gospel. But did you know there is a Bronze Rule and Silver Rule as well? Check it out. As always, you can watch the video by clicking here. ]
A young priest was in the bishop’s office pouring out his heart.
“I can’t seem to get the people’s attention in my homilies,” he said. “What can I do?”
This bishop replied, “Why don’t you try saying something shocking at the beginning. Then once you have their attention, they will listen to the rest of what you have to say.”
“How do you mean?” asked the priest.
“Well,” said the bishop, “For example, I started my homily last week like by saying, ‘I’m in love with a woman…She’s married…Her name is Mary.’ Do you see how that works? Try it.”
Next week the priest is in the pulpit, still very nervous and begins, “THE BISHOP IS IN LOVE WITH A WOMAN! She’s married…I can’t remember her name!”
Today’s gospel gives us the second part of the “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke’s gospel. It starts off with the shocking statement, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” We Christians are quite familiar with these statements, but they would have been shocking to his audience. The expected Messiah was supposed to destroy the enemies of Judah. Primarily the Romans. Jesus is saying they have to love the Romans! What’s up with that?!
However, a previous ‘messiah’, King David, shows us just how it is done when he declines the opportunity to kill Saul, who is trying to hunt him down and kill him. In one sense, Jesus is simply asking his disciples to embrace the best of their heritage. He is inviting them, and us, to rise above the limited standards of the worldly and instead embrace the Kingdom of God. This requires a fundamental shift in the way we think, feel and act, especially towards those who do not embrace the Kingdom.
It is matter of rising from good to great, from justice to love.
Most people remember the Sermon on the Plain for it’s articulation of the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” which summarizes his many instructions. But did you know that there is a Bronze Rule and a Silver
Rule which preceded it?
In the Books of Leviticus (24:19–21) and Deuteronomy (19:21), as well as the legal codes of other cultures, we see the Bronze Rule, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It was an important law that kept limited retaliation for an injury to the level at which it occurred. It ensured that justice was served while preventing escalation of the situation.
Cultures develop over time. At a certain point people look to how to avoid such conflicts rather than just react to them. Centuries later, we see the Silver Rule, “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.” It also makes sense. If you don’t want to be injured. Don’t injure others.”
Still, this is a rather passive way of acting. Jesus takes it a step further. The Kingdom is not just about how to avoid doing the wrong thing. It is about doing the loving thing. Thus, “do unto others…” In this way, we move from the good to the great, from the moral to the magnanimous, from justice to love.
I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s reply to a woman who asked him how he thought he could win the Civil War if he did not destroy his enemy. Looking at her, he said, “My dear lady, I do not destroy my enemy when I make him my friend.”