Second Mile People

Second Mile People

"If anyone forces you to go one mile go with him two miles." Matthew 5:41

Intro: This Scripture ... is part of a very well known passage .... called the "Sermon on The Mount".

This teaching ...was shared very early ... in our Lord's ministry.

Jesus is urging the disciples to understand this concept in order to move forward in their walk ... with the Lord.

The Greek word translates "force or compel"

In the statement if any one forces you to go one mile.

Carries with it ......the idea of a "readiness ... a willingness"

to submit to .... an inconvenience .... or to an unreasonable demand.

Jesus stated ...." If anyone forces you (Slow) to go one mile...."

To put this in context ....... this phrase has reference to the Roman Army;

A Roman solder... under imperial law ... could demand a Jewish man or boy

... to carry his burden up to one mile.

But Jesus states .... that he should carry it not one mile but...two,

That is twice the distance.... two miles.

No doubt many heavy loads were carried and transported this way throughout the Roman empire.

However, .... most Jews would not carry this burden one step further ......than the law required.

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

As you can imagine, .... this law caused terrible resentment ... among the Jews .... toward the Romans.

Can you imagine how the disciples felt when Jesus said, ......(Slow) ...... "go the second mile?"

No doubt, the audience was shocked ... by such a statement.

Yet it was phase that was used very often by Christians throughout the centuries ....

"Go the second mile"

The Romans had conquered much of the known world.

And One of the marvels of their conquest .... was a vast system of highways ....

which they had built to and from .... their conquered territories.

There were over 50,000 miles ... of Roman roads .... throughout the empire.

And at each mile ......was a stone marker.

Which were called .... "guide stones."

These guide stones.... pointed direction, .... determined distance, .... And warned of dangers.

In addition, ......each stone ......had etched on them the distance in miles ... to Rome.

Thus came the well-known phrase, .... "all roads lead to Rome."

Now......No one likes to be compelled or forced ......to do someone else's ... work.

At the very least, .... we are apt to complain.... argue .... or simply refuse.... to be so ... used.

But Jesus tells us ... not only to take on the burden...... but to carry such a burden .... twice .... what is expected. (Pause)

Notice in our text that Jesus is speaking ...... (Slow) only to his followers....

Only to those ... that are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

He does not say .... anything directly ... about the Roman Soldier.

Instead .... He says, .... "If anyone forces you .... If anyone compels you".

If anyone ......believer or non-believer ... compels you to do something ....

that is obviously not contrary to Scripture......

You are to go the extra mile .... you are to do ... twice as much.

Beloved ... we are a new creation .... we are in the world .... but not of the world.

We are a people displaying grace ... radical grace .... a grace that the world ... cannot comprehend.

We are givers of our time ....

We are servants ... to those that God places ... in our lives.

We are called to be active within the Body ... and to be active ... within the world.

We are called to Serve ....To do more than is asked of us.

The Scripture tells us of another ... who was "compelled" ....... who was forced by the Romans.

BIBLE "As they went out, ... they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled ... this man to carry his cross." END Matthew 27:32 ESV

Simon of Cyrene ... had no choice ... but to carry the cross, ......And this was true for all .... for the first mile.

But Jesus says ....... that beyond that .... the Second Mile .... that is our choice ....

the second mile Beloved .... is our Lord's choice.

A Second Mile Life..... will not be a pleasant trip ...... unless we do it because we are obeying the Lord.

Are you traveling the Second Mile, ... are you a second mile person?

Or do we only do the least that is required of us?

And if we sit on the sidelines .... do we in essence cause others ...... to carry more ... on their Second Mile!

We are each to be servants .... To be men and women of Grace.