Sijo Chemmannur
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‘Do to others’ (Matthew 7:12)
Jesus Christ always emphasize the necessity ‘to do’ (ποιῶσιν (poiōsin) in his teachings. The literal translation to English is ‘should do’. His reiteration is to understand the will of God through the actions of Jesus himself and following it or doing it. In all His speeches, he concluded with affirmative statements like ‘do it (Luke 6:46), ‘hear if you have ears’ (Matthew 11:15), don’t be a fool by not doing it (Matthew 7:26) etc. On His elaborate speeches of the sermon on the mount, after explaining His teachings, He concluded it with saying, ‘But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great’ (Luke 6:49). A wise man should hear Jesus’s sayings, and should try to do and live.
In the fourth gospel of John, the author narrates a perfect union of ‘Logos’ (λόγος) with God (Theon). The word ‘Logos’ was originally used for ‘a principle of order’ or ‘knowledge’ (Heraclitus ca. 535–475 BC)*. More simply, we may use the word ‘Logos’ as an ‘idea’ or a ‘thought process’. A primordial form of action. Jesus Christ also tried to teach His disciples the necessity to have a good heart. ‘For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies’ (Matthew 15:19) and ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh’ (Luke 6:45). Thus, heart is the source of all the treasures and the consequent actions. Prophet Ezekiel presaged the exact newness of good heart from God: ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26). The fulfillment of that prophecy came true with Jesus Christ. He is our new and sacred heart. The heart which is pierced for us-to abide in us. That was also the covenant God promised to us way long back through prophet Jeremiah. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). When Jesus Christ exhorts us to abide (μείνατε-meinate’ meaning ‘to stay, remain, abide) in Him, He is wanting us to be born in His sacred heart. Let the Jesus be our heart and through Him, we will do the actions God wants us to do. He reiterates again to us that ‘Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ (Matthew 7:21).
The distinction of doing and not doing is inherent in Jesus’s teachings. Many Christians have then create a doubt in their mind that it is in contradiction with the ‘grace’ in Pauline theology “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Some interpreters may say that no actions or ‘to do’ is relevant, but the faith is the critical factor. But it is important to note that, Paul also explains grace as a consequence of faith (to trust). And always narrates belief as faith-action symbiosis. He uses the example of Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Galatians 3:6). But, the extension of His belief made Him to do some actions by going to places set for him by God and believed God to an extent that he was indeed ready to sacrifice his only son, Issac. Salvation is a gift from God by grace. The fundamental basis of this grace is the belief in God and Jesus Christ. And once we are in Christ, we will obey His commandments (which is to love one another- John 15:12). We do things automatically through a character of Jesus Christ within us. Not to gain any benefit or outcome, but because we are in Christ. This is the exact reason why the people in the right side say 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' (Matthew 25:44). They didn’t even realize that they were doing the work of God. Jesus Christ came to this world ‘to serve’ others (Matthew 20:28). He reiterates ‘do to others what you would have them do to you’ and this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). Let us be living in Christ and be ‘doers’ for Christ.
*Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (2nd ed): Heraclitus, 1999.
Jesus Christ always emphasize the necessity ‘to do’ (ποιῶσιν (poiōsin) in his teachings. The literal translation to English is ‘should do’. His reiteration is to understand the will of God through the actions of Jesus himself and following it or doing it. In all His speeches, he concluded with affirmative statements like ‘do it (Luke 6:46), ‘hear if you have ears’ (Matthew 11:15), don’t be a fool by not doing it (Matthew 7:26) etc. On His elaborate speeches of the sermon on the mount, after explaining His teachings, He concluded it with saying, ‘But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great’ (Luke 6:49). A wise man should hear Jesus’s sayings, and should try to do and live.
In the fourth gospel of John, the author narrates a perfect union of ‘Logos’ (λόγος) with God (Theon). The word ‘Logos’ was originally used for ‘a principle of order’ or ‘knowledge’ (Heraclitus ca. 535–475 BC)*. More simply, we may use the word ‘Logos’ as an ‘idea’ or a ‘thought process’. A primordial form of action. Jesus Christ also tried to teach His disciples the necessity to have a good heart. ‘For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies’ (Matthew 15:19) and ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh’ (Luke 6:45). Thus, heart is the source of all the treasures and the consequent actions. Prophet Ezekiel presaged the exact newness of good heart from God: ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26). The fulfillment of that prophecy came true with Jesus Christ. He is our new and sacred heart. The heart which is pierced for us-to abide in us. That was also the covenant God promised to us way long back through prophet Jeremiah. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). When Jesus Christ exhorts us to abide (μείνατε-meinate’ meaning ‘to stay, remain, abide) in Him, He is wanting us to be born in His sacred heart. Let the Jesus be our heart and through Him, we will do the actions God wants us to do. He reiterates again to us that ‘Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ (Matthew 7:21).
The distinction of doing and not doing is inherent in Jesus’s teachings. Many Christians have then create a doubt in their mind that it is in contradiction with the ‘grace’ in Pauline theology “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Some interpreters may say that no actions or ‘to do’ is relevant, but the faith is the critical factor. But it is important to note that, Paul also explains grace as a consequence of faith (to trust). And always narrates belief as faith-action symbiosis. He uses the example of Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Galatians 3:6). But, the extension of His belief made Him to do some actions by going to places set for him by God and believed God to an extent that he was indeed ready to sacrifice his only son, Issac. Salvation is a gift from God by grace. The fundamental basis of this grace is the belief in God and Jesus Christ. And once we are in Christ, we will obey His commandments (which is to love one another- John 15:12). We do things automatically through a character of Jesus Christ within us. Not to gain any benefit or outcome, but because we are in Christ. This is the exact reason why the people in the right side say 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' (Matthew 25:44). They didn’t even realize that they were doing the work of God. Jesus Christ came to this world ‘to serve’ others (Matthew 20:28). He reiterates ‘do to others what you would have them do to you’ and this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). Let us be living in Christ and be ‘doers’ for Christ.
*Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (2nd ed): Heraclitus, 1999.
