Morning Devotion (Monday, November 2nd, 2026)

Sermon  : Matthew 7: 12

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

“Segala sesuatu yang kamu kehendaki supaya orang perbuat kepadamu, perbuatlah demikian juga kepada mereka. Itulah isi seluruh hukum Taurat dan kitab para nabi.

 Do To Others As You Wish”

Now, think about this first day of this new week of November what God gives us today. November has come today – November 2^nd. And then, December is coming. Advent and Christmas is coming. The end of the semester is coming soon.  Everyone has wishes and we have clear wishes in our heart, but factually we don’t say it clearly. And we don’t get it.

• I wish others would listen to me honestly.
• I wish others would give me some help/money.
• A lecturer will hope her student is honest with her paper.
• A staff will hope for respect, etc.

Today, God asks us one simple question before we do anything else: “What do you wish others would do to you today?”

Jesus just finished teaching about: Judging others (7:1-5). This verse is the closing bracket of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:17 (Opening): “I came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”

Prayer and the Father’s goodness (7:7-11) Then He says “SO” – Greek: oun. Therefore, in light of how your Heavenly Father treats you with generosity, now treat others the same. And He ends with: “for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This is the exact same phrase He uses in Matthew 22:40 after the Great Commandment. What does it mean? Jesus is saying: If you lose your Old Testament, but you remember this one sentence, you have kept the whole thing. The Torah was not given to make you clever, but to make you loving.

Jesus transforms it into active, positive, and initiative-taking: DO ALSO TO THEM – Greek: houtos kai hymeis poieite autois  present active imperative. Keep on doing it, continuously.

Because God has been good to you, So you be good to others. We give because we first received. It was quoted by William Carey (1761-1834) – English Baptist, the Father of Modern Missions: “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”.

We all sometimes think mostly about ourselves. We want other people to respect us, but we may not always show respect to them. We cannot expect respect if we do not give it. When we treat others with respect, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness, they are more likely to treat us the same way. We also learn to think less about ourselves and care more about others.

Give What You Hope to Receive.

This is especially important in relationships. We may hope that someone will show us love, care, or encouragement. We should try to give those things, too. When we show affection and encourage others, they may be more likely to do the same for us. Good relationships need care and effort from both people.

Do Not Do to Others What You Would Not Want Done to You.

This is another way to think about the same lesson. We should not hurt or mistreat people and expect there to be no consequences. Jesus teaches that we will gather what we plant.In our daily life we always hear the lyrics of the Batak Popular Song: Molo sinuan kancang, kancang do na tubu, molo sinuan na denggan sai na denggan do na ro”. If we spread kindness, we can help create kindness around us. If we hurt others, we may also experience hurt. So, before you act, ask yourself: “Would I want someone to do this to me?”

Seneca – Roman Stoic, 4 BC – 65 AD – Teacher of Nero ever said; “Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you. The same meaning; treat your junior as you would wish your senior to treat you. Keep learning how to live to be better.

Let’s take some actions for today:

The Focus is NOT on “What others will do to me”. Matthew 7:12 says the opposite. The initiative is on YOU. You act first. You don’t wait. So the focus is: The disciple as the active subject.

The word “what you wish” – hosa an thelete – is a standard for your action, not the goal. Your wish is a mirror to understand human dignity. Jesus says: Use your own heart as a laboratory. You know how much it hurts to be gossiped about. You know how good it feels to be helped when you are sick. Use that knowledge, and become the one who does it first.

The focus is the YOU who is called to be the first agent of Shalom, regardless of whether the other does it back to you.

We expect great things from God – God already did great things for us. So we attempt great things for God – by doing to others first. Amen.

By: Rev. Maruhum Simangunsong, M.Th.