do unto

while receiving my chiro "treatment" (electric stimulation on my back and heating pads to loosen the muscles around my spine... ahh...) i was musing about altruism and whether or not it can be inherently unselfish (at this same time, the oil on my face was making embarrassing marks on the papery sheet that covers the headpiece.  and i was drooling).

i then realized jesus words in matthew 7:12... love others as yourself.

thus... is our motivation for loving others to love them as we would want to be loved?

did jesus realize we were inherently selfish (lol, no leah, he was totally surprised!)?  that we would not love another if we were not motivated by how we would want to be loved?

some of that is sad.  some of that is relieving!!  permission to be altruistic even if it is selfish.

that jesus fellow.  i'm always surprised that he, indeed, is far more intelligent and wiser than i.  :)