2008.01.28 Think how you would want to be treated. Ex 22.21

Exo 22:21 "You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

So much of what is going on here in these verses can be summed up by:

Mat 7:12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Even in the passage of Exodus, the Israelites are reminded to do to the foreigner how they wished they would have been treated when they were in Egypt. We always have the ability to turn inward and forget the thoughts or needs of others. But God asks us to remember how you were, or if you do something just think how it would feel if someone did it to you. There isn't as much distance between you and that person anymore. It is similar between the love that God has for us through Christ Jesus. Not only did He just try and think of what we are going through, but through Christ became one of us, so that He might know and even experience everything that we go through. That He might have compassion for our troubles, needs, desires, etc.

So not only do we have this great example for how we can have empathy for others, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task. For when we consider how we would treat someone when we act it is through the power of the Holy Spirit. For everything in us wants to seek our own gain and forget every consequence that might affect another person or image bearer of Christ.

Father help me to act according to the example of your son Jesus Christ. Help me to consider my actions, my thoughts, my words, my life that they would reflect how you would want me to treat myself and in return reflect that toward all those men and women you have created to experience you through me. You have given me a great gift to experience your compassionate love help me to live my life according to your example. Amen.