“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Matthew 5:41 (ESV)
The Roman law in Jesus’ day gave a soldier the right to force a civilian to carry his equipment for a mile. It did not matter if the civilian had other plans or was going in the opposite direction. By law, the civilian had to carry the heavy load for a mile if selected by the soldier. That was the law as well as the clear expectation.
Jesus illuminated the path for the believer to go beyond the expectation and to be willing to go the extra mile. Can you imagine the expression on the face of a Roman soldier when the mile was almost complete and the civilian announced that he would be glad to carry the equipment another mile? Instead of seeing the soldier as an obstacle, what if the follower of Christ viewed the soldier as an opportunity to display the love and grace of God? That makes me wonder how many Roman soldiers will be in heaven because of the civilians who portrayed the servitude of Christ by going the extra mile. I can picture a soldier asking the believer what would motivate him to go the extra mile. The believer would then share how Jesus had transformed his life personally and transformed his perception of others.
Do you have that kind of heart for people? Are you compelled to go the extra mile for others even when it hurts? Going the extra mile to portray the love of Christ may invade your plans or even delay your personal agenda. Consider the impact you can make by simply living to add value to others. Ready to go the extra mile?
Drawing Near,
Stephen Trammell
Lead Pastor
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