This sermon was delivered at Holy Trinity, Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland on Sunday the 19th February 2017; Holy Trinity is a Scottish Episcopal Church in the Dioceses of Glasgow and Dumfries.
The readings for today are from:
Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm 119:33-40
Please join me in a short prayer from Psalms 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Amen.
Introduction.
Back in the day, … that is, when Jesus walked this earth as a man, a Roman solder, under imperial Roman law could demand or command that a Jewish man, (or boy), too carry his load or burden for up to one mile. … This is true, a Roman soldier was allowed to approach any Jew and say, “hei you, come ere, caary these bags fir me”. … He probably didn’t say it in a Maybole accent, but he would say it in an authoritative, bulling, dismissive tone.
Now this seems all very good for the Roman soldiers, but it was not as cut and dry as it appears; because the Jews really resented being treated and humiliated in this way, and so the Jews, being a Jews, sticking rigidly to the law, carried the soldiers burden for one mile … but not one step further.
… This then would sort of annoy the Roman soldier, because he then needed to look for another Jew to carry his load further, and this in some way gave the Jews a wee bit of satisfaction, enabling them to sneer a bit, … because by this time, every other Jews would have seen him carrying this burden, and so they would all stay well clear knowing full well that the Roman soldier would be looking for another Jew to carry his load further.
But all in all, it was still in the soldiers favour, and the Jews absolutely hated this law, … but they had hope … they had a plan, a cunning plan, because a Messiah was soon to appear, and he would sort out these Romans, … but when Jesus did appear, he said on the “Sermon on the Mount”, (verse 41), “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two”.
Can you imagine the Jews reaction on hearing that, “you want us to go two miles … you are not on … stuff that … you caary it two miles”. Ok, they did not have Ayrshire accents either, but I bet you that was said, … and seriously that is not what they expected from this greatly prophesied messiah; … they expected a true political hero, a champion of champions, and not one who would appease the Romans and help them with their cause.
But, do you remember in my sermon from a few weeks ago when I quoted 1st Corinthians 1:18 which read, “For the preaching of the cross to them that perish, is foolishness; … but unto us which are saved, … it is the power of God”.
Well this is a case in point, you see, Jesus knew what he was saying, … he knew that these civilised law abiding Jews were no match for these tough, battle hardened Roman soldiers. You see these soldiers would have had fire in their bellies, they would have a spirit of aggression, authority and intimidation … and if any poor Jew challenged that spirit, … (with their own defiant spirit), then obviously, the Roman soldier would win, and everyone knew this.
However, can you imagine a Jew carrying a Roman Soldier’s load for one mile, and as they neared the end of that mile … and just when the Roman soldier is looking for another Jew to carry the load further, when the Jew pipes up, (just as Jesus commanded), “don’t worry, I will carry it on for you another mile”.
Think about it, what would be going through the mind of the Roman soldier? … Come on, you would have to admit, his heart would sort of melt at those words, he would relax, down would come his defenses, because no other person would speak to him in the way … a way of compassion and understanding.
When we are in conflict, or against someone much stronger than ourselves, we will never beat them head on, … because that is what they are used to, … that is what made them big and strong in the first place. … No, the best way to beat them is to soften their hearts, … and I have known this for years, (you too probably), and you will know that it does not work all the time, but it does work, and when it works, the results can be surprising and outstanding.
Transition to the Reading.
Unlike my last sermon where I covered a lot of ground, today I want to do the opposite, I want to focus on this one verse, verse 41 which said, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two”, … because once you understand this principle, much of the teaching on the sermon on the mount becomes much easier to understand and apply.
And this is very important because this great sermon, happened very early on in ministry of Jesus, … where we can conclude that this teaching is basic, it is fundamental, the A B C of Christian life, and yet … not many Christians know or apply these principles or doctrine in modern life because, like the principle of humility, … these teachings appear weak in the eyes of the world, … where really when used properly, they are full wisdom, power, and success.
However in order to achieve success, we need to walk that second mile, and this mile is on a long, lonely difficult road, and that is what I want to talk about this morning, the second mile. … So let us face up to that now, and see what it entails; … and we will start with the negatives first to get them out of the way.
1. Anybody means anybody.
So the first point I want to make, is that Jesus did not say anything about a Roman Soldier, he says, “And whosoever shall compel you”, … whosoever meaning anybody; … and knowing Jesus … anybody would probably mean someone that we do not like; … somebody where common sense tells us to stay well clear off; ok.
So anybody means anyone, … however … if you are new to this Christian doctrine, I would suggest that you show a bit of caution first, … sticking to common sense until you gain confidence in using it, … because if you are not sure, don’t. … It is as simple as that, or people will use your good nature to their own ends, and we don’t want that. … However … I do suggest that you should start to look for ways in which you can use this principle to your advantage, … because it is a very power weapon in our arsenal, and I can assure you that it is almost impossible to get the better of someone who knows how to use it wisely, without heavy loss.
2. The second mile is a lonely road.
My second point this morning is that the second mile travels along a long lonely road, with very few signposts on the way. … It is lonely because only a few people have travelled that road, and so there are few people to ask for advice and direction.
An example of that are the Olympic athletes. … Do you honestly think they were selected for their country on talent alone, or do you think they travelled that second mile, training with every spare second they could, in ways that we would not believe; ... however they would have travelled that road with help from their trainers, … trainers who have travelled that road in the past, and could give them advice on where to go, and how to proceed, and what dangers they should watch out for. You see, nobody becomes good at anything without travelling that second mile.
For us Christians, we too will travel the second mile whether we like it or not. … That is the nature of Christianity, … we have the Holy Spirit within us, and as I said in my last sermon, … this spirit leads or drives us through faith and by circumstances. … How can we be sure, well ask yourself this question, … how many times have you felt alone on your journey of faith? … And how many times have you wished there was someone to ask, “am I on the right road, … will things work out ok? You see, we all need guidance.
Yes many preachers, including myself, will tell you we have our own personal trainer within us, … the Holy Spirit, … guiding and protecting us every step of the way, … yet, no matter how many times we say this, we all at times feel lost, …. and wonder, what is it all about.
The best analogy I can give to that question is by relating this experience to a grown up teaching an infant to walk, …. where the grown up stands the infant on their own two feet, and then encourages them to walk forward on their own, … letting go even now and again, letting the infant do it on their own, … but ready to catch them if they fall.
The grown up actually leaves the infant for a moment in order for them to learn to walk on there own, and I like that analogy because the bible tells us that our lord is constantly watching over us, as he has a lot invested in us, for this life and the next. … It is sort of like a ship at sea, when you are on the bridge in a ship, the ship never seems to be making any headway, however if you look at the stern or the back of the ship, you will see its wake, and where it has been and the speed it is going at.
And so we start the second mile on some task, some horrible task, … grinding our teeth as we go, … kidding on to others that we are enjoying it, where we are really hating it, … but with the Lords help, he transforms us as we go, turning pain into pleasure, as he revels more and more of himself as we go, … and by doing so we become his lights shining in the darkness.
And I will give you an example of this, have you every said to yourself, “I wish I could just stay in the background like everybody else, and lead an ordinary trouble free life”, … I know I have, … but the Lord within, puts us right into the front line whether we like it or not, and lets the troubles flow. … The lord makes sure we travel that second mile, … experiencing things that others do not, in order to let us grow, … and then, he puts his light in our imperfect bodies, … and leaves us to pick up the pieces, as we grow.
3. The second mile is always under attack.
And this takes me to my third point which is that the second mile never ends for a Christian; it continues in preparation for death … it continues unto death, … in readiness to meet our Lord in person. And so, … if that is our destination, … it is therefore reasonable to meet with the Lord on that second road.
… And there are obvious reasons why should we expect to meet the Lord on this road, and that is because we need him, … it is a lonely dangerous road that Jesus himself could not complete without the help and protection of his father when he was alive, and if Jesus needed his help, then so must we.
And I will give you an example of this second mile as we look at this very church, … yes we have all had our problems with it one way or another, … but all churches have their problems, … some more than most, (and we are certainly some more than the most), and sometimes we get very discouraged, to the extent of having to force ourselves to attend. … But we do so because we love the Lord, or we need the Lord. …
And yes, there are others who have given up and left for one reason or another, but if the Lord is in them they will either … drift back; or … drift into another church, … some will do it instantly, others will do it eventually. When the lord is in us, we will return, we will return somewhere or other; but somewhere where the lord is worshiped, and provides us with nurture.
I myself have been so discouraged with all the goings on in the last few years, so it is safe to say I am very much on the second mile, … as I still happily help out where I can. … And I know there are many others in a similar position, … that second mile? … You see, … it takes faith to come to church these days, … and always with the anticipation of hope.
4. The second mile leads to a reward.
And finally, this takes me to my last point before I close … and that is that if we are properly motivated, and guided by lord, the second mile leads to a reward. … But as you know, our rewards are not easily recognised by the world, it is seldom recognised by ourselves to well after the event, … in those small quiet times that make us.
This is because the world’s idea of helping someone is to do so in hope of being rewarded financially or mentioned in despatches … and normally by those who can afford it or command it. … The Christian attitude of help however is so different … as the true Christian will sacrifice their own time and money to help someone who cannot pay them back. The true Christian will help them for love, and nothing else. It is what make them, … them.
As you have gathered, I could go on for ages on this subject, but for now, I will finish with this one thought. If we have the ability and the desire, to help those who cannot pay us back, … how strong and how secure and how resourceful would we need to be? … … … Well it should be obvious, that we need to be very strong, … completely stable, and extremely resourceful … and I for one … want some of that; … I hope that you do as well.
Amen. Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Father, we thank you for Jesus, and thank you for supporting him on that second mile on the road to the cross, … where all our lives changed as a result.
Father we know that you want us to travel this road also, so please enlighten us on this doctrine. Explain to us why you want us to do it, and show us the power that is released on this second mile, both for your glory, … and ours.
Father when we do travel the second mile on one of these many roads, please meet with us, … encourage us, … tell us what you want us to do, … and strengthen us to continue, as we will probably be afraid of where it takes us.
Father, because of Jesus, let your love shine on us today as it is our desire to please you. Let your love shine, … let it shine onto us and through us into the darkness, … and let that light bless those whom we meet.
Father, we ask in Jesus name, Amen.
