In Matthew 7:12 Jesus speaks what is often referred to as “The Golden Rule”, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” The most commonly quoted version of this statement is from Luke’s gospel “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” What we learn from the book of Matthew is that Jesus makes this statement within the Sermon on the Mount, it is not a simple rule that can stand alone, in fact, Jesus didn’t simply tell us how we are supposed to act in our relationships with each other, He taught that our relationships with each other rely upon our relationship with God through prayer and with our desire to be faithful to the Word of God. This verse cannot be rightly understood or applied to our hearts unless we start with the word “therefore” and end with “the Law and the Prophets”. Everything about how we treat each other is dependent upon how I view God and if I’m willing to be a “frame” that the Word of God can “hang” upon. Ultimately “The Golden Rule” is like everything else that Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, it comes from God, is about God and must be fulfilled for God. It is all for His glory.