Slideshow image

This Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 13:31-35) hearkens back to the gospel on Maundy Thursday.  It is the night Jesus gets betrayed.  He’s having the Passover meal with his disciples.  He washes their feet in an act of humility that becomes an example for us.  Judas then leaves to do his dirty deed, and Jesus tells them (and us) to “Love one another as I have loved you.”  I call this the Platinum Rule.  I think we’re all familiar with the Golden Rule:  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Or “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  They’re great! but the ethical standard is us—individualistic, flawed human beings.  The Platinum Rule kicks it up a notch—there, the ethical standard is Jesus.  Just ask yourself, “How did Jesus love us?” and living out his command gets a lot more complicated. 

            The libertarian in me would say, “Leave others alone just like I want to be left alone.”  Nothing wrong with that, but that’s not seeking out the lost, or loving someone who’s unloved by other people—the way Jesus did.  Do you see what I mean?  Or, if I don’t care if people listen to me (because I don’t want to have to say something to them) then I don’t have to listen to them.  Is that keeping the Golden Rule?  Sort of…? but it’s certainly not keeping the Platinum Rule.  In a divisive society, “Don’t tread on me” is a rallying cry… as long as we don’t tread on others.  Again, the standard for that is the individualistic human being. 

            That wasn’t how Jesus loved us.  Jesus loved us selflessly but also maintained the boundaries between good and evil.  He humbled himself before others.  Made himself a servant in relationship to others.  This is how our Good Shepherd, the one we follow, leads us.  Dare we lead like that?  Dare we expect our earthly leaders to lead like that?  Jesus forgave sinners (in other words, us) and reconciled them to God— and in the process restored them to relationship with other people.  When Jesus loved people selflessly, he took on a personal obligation to teach them, heal them, spiritually feed them, cast out their demons… in short, to love them. In a way that puts obligations on us to care for others.  Just like how Jesus tread on the Serpent, he treads on our sinful selfishness calling us to a richer, fuller life than the world offers—by loving others.  The Platinum Rule is hard, and we’ve never needed it more.

Peace,

Pr. Christian