Walking the Extra Mile

Matthew 5:39-42 Words Spoken by Jesus.

"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosover shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

I've been thinking about these verses for a while now.  They seem to be going over and over in my mind. I think that our 'reasonable service' can turn mechanical and mediocre. So how can we overcome being mechanical and mediocre?  I believe it comes from Jesus' own words in Matthew 5.

Jesus is telling the believers to go above and beyond what is asked of them.

When Jesus speaks of a slap on your right cheek, it was culturally understood as a deep insult, not a physical attack. "Jesus is saying that the true Christian has learned to resent no insult and to seek retaliation for no slight." Barclay.

Jesus Himself lived this principle.

He is our example, and He will one day take care of all wrongs against us!

Under the Law of Moses, the outer cloak could not be taken away from someone, only their inner garment, but here, Jesus is telling His followers to give that person both garments.  It's like Jesus is telling them not to worry about what they are wearing, God will continue to provide their needs.  I like what Charles Spurgeon wrote: "Yet even in a country where justice can be had, we are not to resort to the law for every personal wrong. We should rather endure to be put upon than be forever crying out, "I'll bring action!" In other words, don't go to court with your brother-just settle it among yourselves and live humbly and peaceably with all men.

To go the extra mile, Guzik explains that under Roman military law, any Roman soldier could command a Jew to carry his soldiers' pack for one mile.  Jesus says, 'Go beyond the one mile required by law, and give another mile out of a free choice of love."

This is how we transform an attempt to manipulate us into a free act of love.

I love that!

Sometimes as Christians, we can be taken advantage of by other believers and nonbelievers.  Turn someone's selfishness and manipulations into an Act of Kindness on your part.  To interpret a saying by Morgan, I will write it this way: "In a world that insists on your own right, instead, suffer wrong and lavish love on the undeserving."

To give when someone asks something of you, I love what Guzik said as well, "The only limit to this kind of sacrifice is the limit that love itself will impose. It isn't loving to give in to someone's manipulation without our transforming it into a free act of love."

Can you imagine what would happen for the cause of Christ if we were to humbly accept being treated wrongly? Instead of having our cloak taken away from us, we freely gave it away?  Can you imagine turning our 'required rules or manipulations' of service into Acts of Kindness? To give away what we have before being asked to give it away?

I will tell you what would happen; the Lost would be saved and the Saved would be encouraged.

I believe that our Christian walk shouldn't just be about 'reasonable service...'

     but it should be about going above and beyond what we are called to do and be...

        But that's just me!

Romans 12:21 says, 'Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'