Do Unto Others
Matthew came in the front door yelling, “Mo--om!” His face was red, his clothes were wet, a bruise was beginning to show under his left eye, as well as a trickle of blood under his nose. Mom hadn’t quite made it all the way down the steps before he launched into his story. “He started it!”
“Who started what?” Mom waited with her arms crossed to hear the whole story.
“It was Brent. He was being a bully, shoving everybody and stuffing snow balls in our faces and down our backs and then laughing at us. Just because he’s taller, he thinks he can push us all around.”
It was the biggest snowstorm of the entire winter, and the whole family had been cooped up inside the house for days. The kids had been bored and restless, so when the sun started to shine and the wind died down, Mom let the kids get bundled up and go outside to play in the snow and burn off some energy.
“So you got a black eye and bloody nose from a snowball?” asked Mom.
“Well.. no. That was when he punched me in the face.”
“And why did he do that?” Mom wanted all the details, now that she saw that Matt wasn’t in any immediate danger of his life.
Matthew looked down at the puddle of water melting off his boots. “I punched him in the face, too.”
“So you punched him first, and then he punched you back. Is that what happened?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mom sighed. “Well, it sounds like neither one of you treated the other one very well. What did Grandpa just tell you yesterday about feuding with your sister?”
“He said two wrongs don’t make a right,” Matt answered.
“I think we need to talk about two of the things that Jesus said,” Mom was talking as she headed into the kitchen. She pulled two cups from the cabinet and began fixing them both a cup of hot chocolate. “Mrs. Lynden just had you memorize this verse in Sunday School.” Mom opened the Bible on the table while their cocoa was heating, and Matt hung his jacket on the back of the chair. “Here, read this verse to me. It’s even in the book of Matthew,” she said with a smile.
Matt grinned, and began reading. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12.”
“Okay, does Jesus tell us to treat others the same way they treat you, or treat them the way you want them to treat you?”
“I should treat them the way I want to be treated,” Matt answered.
“So you want to be punched in the face before someone even tries to talk to you about what’s going on, is that it?” Mom asked.
“But he started it!”
“That doesn’t change what the verse says though, does it? This conversation is not about Brent or what he did; it’s about you and what you did, because I’m your mother. Brent has parents to talk with him. The Golden Rule says, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Remember Daddy talking to you about when it’s time to fight? That’s reserved for defending the defenseless and standing up for what is right. When it’s time to fight, it’s a decision made by your principles, not your temper.”
Matthew looked thoughtfully into the cup of hot chocolate that Mom had sat in front of him. He wrapped his cold hands around the warm cup and then took a sip. “He did make me really mad at him, and before I realized it, I had already hit him and he hit me back. It all happened so fast.”
“Here is the second verse I want you to think about. Matthew 25:40 says, ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ The Bible says it’s not just about how you are treating Brent. It’s also about how you are treating Jesus.”
Matthew quickly protested. “But I would never treat Jesus bad!”
“Jesus loves Brent and died for him just like He loves you and me. He told us when we treat His people good or bad, that’s the way we are treating Him. Guess maybe it’s a little more important than you thought, isn’t it?” Mom was waiting for his response.
“So that means God doesn’t want me to get so mad that I punch somebody if I haven’t even tried to talk to them about it. But now I already did it, so what do I do?” Matthew asked.
Mom said, “We’re going to walk over to Brent’s house so you can tell him that you are sorry for what you did.”
“But what if he just does the same thing again tomorrow, being a bully?” Matt wondered.
“Brent will have to face the Lord for what Brent does. The only person you have to answer for is yourself. This is about the Lord being pleased with how you treat others, since He says that is how you are treating Him. No matter whether Brent responds in a friendly way or gets angrier, God knows if you are trying to do what’s right, and He will bless you for it, no matter how someone else responds.”
“I’ll try to do better next time and not let my temper get the best of me, “ Matt said. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Well, I forgive you, but we need to go for a walk and have a little talk over at Brent’s house so this can be settled between everyone and then put it behind us and start fresh, okay?” Mom squeezed Matthew’s shoulder and they both put their jackets and boots on and headed out the door.
“Mom’s tool is the Golden Rule,” smiled Matt, who loved to make up rhymes. “Do unto others, only do, as you would have them do unto you.”
Mom smiled. “I like that bit of poetry. I think you need to write it on the chalk board when we get back as an extra reminder for all of us.”
“Who started what?” Mom waited with her arms crossed to hear the whole story.
“It was Brent. He was being a bully, shoving everybody and stuffing snow balls in our faces and down our backs and then laughing at us. Just because he’s taller, he thinks he can push us all around.”
It was the biggest snowstorm of the entire winter, and the whole family had been cooped up inside the house for days. The kids had been bored and restless, so when the sun started to shine and the wind died down, Mom let the kids get bundled up and go outside to play in the snow and burn off some energy.
“So you got a black eye and bloody nose from a snowball?” asked Mom.
“Well.. no. That was when he punched me in the face.”
“And why did he do that?” Mom wanted all the details, now that she saw that Matt wasn’t in any immediate danger of his life.
Matthew looked down at the puddle of water melting off his boots. “I punched him in the face, too.”
“So you punched him first, and then he punched you back. Is that what happened?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mom sighed. “Well, it sounds like neither one of you treated the other one very well. What did Grandpa just tell you yesterday about feuding with your sister?”
“He said two wrongs don’t make a right,” Matt answered.
“I think we need to talk about two of the things that Jesus said,” Mom was talking as she headed into the kitchen. She pulled two cups from the cabinet and began fixing them both a cup of hot chocolate. “Mrs. Lynden just had you memorize this verse in Sunday School.” Mom opened the Bible on the table while their cocoa was heating, and Matt hung his jacket on the back of the chair. “Here, read this verse to me. It’s even in the book of Matthew,” she said with a smile.
Matt grinned, and began reading. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12.”
“Okay, does Jesus tell us to treat others the same way they treat you, or treat them the way you want them to treat you?”
“I should treat them the way I want to be treated,” Matt answered.
“So you want to be punched in the face before someone even tries to talk to you about what’s going on, is that it?” Mom asked.
“But he started it!”
“That doesn’t change what the verse says though, does it? This conversation is not about Brent or what he did; it’s about you and what you did, because I’m your mother. Brent has parents to talk with him. The Golden Rule says, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Remember Daddy talking to you about when it’s time to fight? That’s reserved for defending the defenseless and standing up for what is right. When it’s time to fight, it’s a decision made by your principles, not your temper.”
Matthew looked thoughtfully into the cup of hot chocolate that Mom had sat in front of him. He wrapped his cold hands around the warm cup and then took a sip. “He did make me really mad at him, and before I realized it, I had already hit him and he hit me back. It all happened so fast.”
“Here is the second verse I want you to think about. Matthew 25:40 says, ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ The Bible says it’s not just about how you are treating Brent. It’s also about how you are treating Jesus.”
Matthew quickly protested. “But I would never treat Jesus bad!”
“Jesus loves Brent and died for him just like He loves you and me. He told us when we treat His people good or bad, that’s the way we are treating Him. Guess maybe it’s a little more important than you thought, isn’t it?” Mom was waiting for his response.
“So that means God doesn’t want me to get so mad that I punch somebody if I haven’t even tried to talk to them about it. But now I already did it, so what do I do?” Matthew asked.
Mom said, “We’re going to walk over to Brent’s house so you can tell him that you are sorry for what you did.”
“But what if he just does the same thing again tomorrow, being a bully?” Matt wondered.
“Brent will have to face the Lord for what Brent does. The only person you have to answer for is yourself. This is about the Lord being pleased with how you treat others, since He says that is how you are treating Him. No matter whether Brent responds in a friendly way or gets angrier, God knows if you are trying to do what’s right, and He will bless you for it, no matter how someone else responds.”
“I’ll try to do better next time and not let my temper get the best of me, “ Matt said. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Well, I forgive you, but we need to go for a walk and have a little talk over at Brent’s house so this can be settled between everyone and then put it behind us and start fresh, okay?” Mom squeezed Matthew’s shoulder and they both put their jackets and boots on and headed out the door.
“Mom’s tool is the Golden Rule,” smiled Matt, who loved to make up rhymes. “Do unto others, only do, as you would have them do unto you.”
Mom smiled. “I like that bit of poetry. I think you need to write it on the chalk board when we get back as an extra reminder for all of us.”
