The 2nd Mile Series

THE SECOND MILE

Matthew 5:38-42.

(Mat 5:41 KJV) "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

INTRODUCTION: (Explain Vs. 38-42) This scripture is from the very well known passage of the “Sermon On The Mount”. This was very early in the life of the Disciples. Jesus gave them an advanced college course on “Christian Endurance”, or on “Longsuffering”. Vs. 41 is the “Second Mile Verse”.

I have heard many different applications of the “Second Mile Philosophy”. It is a service that not many Christians apply themselves to today. To introduce the message today let me begin by explaining some of the wording and customs of the day in which the Scripture was written.

We will focus on Vs. 41. (Mat 5:41 KJV) "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

The word “compel” carries with it the application of a “great inconvenience, or a readiness to submit to unreasonable demands.” Listen to how Luke states it: (Luke 6:30 KJV) "Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again."

The Roman mile was 1000 paces or 1520 yards. A little shorter than the English mile.

“Twain” means two. In context this has reference to the Roman Army; if a Roman soldier demanded that a Jewish man carry his burden a mile, which was what the law specified, then Jesus said that he should carry it twain, or two miles.

Notice the wording that Jesus uses. He doesn’t say anything about a Roman Soldier. He says, “And whosoever shall compel” . His instructions includes the compulsion from anyone and not just a Roman Soldier, or an enemy. To you and I today this would mean, “If a neighbor” or a “co-worker” or a “church member” would compel us to do a certain thing then we should do twice as much as they expect us to do.

“Go with him twain”. This requires a cheerful compliance with the Roman law. It also denotes a voluntarily doubling of the hardship rather than resistance. You talk about something being politically incorrect; this is.

Scripture will warn us that there will be various and many opportunities to be compelled. (Mat 27:32 KJV) "And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross."

Matt. 27:32 will lead us to believe that there was very little opportunity to resist after being compelled. Simon Cyrene had no choice, but carry the cross, But Jesus says the Second Mile will be up to our own volunteering.

We have already determined that the Second Mile philosophy will not be an enjoyable trip unless we do it for the Lord.

There are certain things about the Second Mile that keeps most Christians from travelling on it.

I. THE SECOND MILE IS A LONELY ROAD

(Just the Lord and you.) Are you traveling the Second Mile, or are you the cause of someone else traveling the Second Mile? There are only two types of Christians on this roadway; Those who travel the Second Mile willingly, and those who force others to travel it. (The Roman Soldier was the reason for Jewish boy to be traveling the Second Mile.)

It’s not crowded. It gets lonely on the Second Mile. Not many there that you can fellowship with.

Jesus is always on the second mile.

Satan will be there also.

There will probably be a lot of people returning from the second mile. They tried it and couldn’t carry it out; thus, they are going back to the house, or the life of ease.

II. THE SECOND MILE NEVER ENDS

It has no ending marker. If you are on the Second Mile and someone asks you where you are in your Christian life, you answer them, “I am on the Second Mile.” You can’t say, “I am at the halfway point or three-fourths. There is no end to the Second Mile. The Bible never introduces a “Third Mile.”

Let me ask you, “How long have you been on the Second Mile?” Maybe a more accurate question, “Are you on the Second Mile?”

A Coast Guard crew was summoned on a stormy night to rescue survivors from a sinking vessel. One member of the crew was fearful: “Captain,” he moaned, “we’ll never get back.” “We don’t have to come back,” was the captain’s reply; “we only have to go.”

III. THE SECOND MILE WILL ALWAYS BE UNDER ATTACK

There will be a lot of land mines on this mile. There will be a few shots fired. There is always someone demanding you go the second mile for them. I find it is usually the same people over and over again.

A. From The Tempter.