To the human mind, this is the only available solution to the problem. We show up to do something for God and then get angry because not enough showed up so we Z. Simon, who helped Jesus carry his cross, is a good example of this. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. Why didnt Abraham bargain with God when it came to Isaac being offered as a burnt offering like he did when it came to Sodom and Gomorrah? He blesses him as far as it is possible for the blessings to reach him, does him good where he can, and will continue to do so for as long as Satan exits. Matthew 14:15-21, Denomination: N Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. Deepen your knowledge of Christ's journey to the Cross. In great mercy, He provides directives effecting, if obeyed the best conditions possible under humanitys system. Special moments make special memories. I l, When Worship Is Resistance: Hymn for the 81%, On Thanksgiving: An Honest Home in the Uncomfortable Both, Making Room for Opposing the Death Penalty on the Evangelical Agenda, Abide in Me: Excerpt from Lent Reflection. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Did Christ mean that we are to carefully count till we reach this number and then stop forgiving? People do not understand the wisdom and power of God as it will be employed to put down the great rebellion. J C But he answered, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He now taught another new law of the second mile. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly. And he said to him, I will come and heal him. But the centurion replied, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. . Does God gives us political leaders or do we vote them by choice? Get a 14-day FREE trial, then less than $5/mo. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Not Helpful "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Summary: This sermon supports the understanding of humility, which use properly is one of the best weapons in a Christian's arsenal; by traveling a second mile on a difficult, lonely road; a road Jesus knew and traveled, a road he want us to travel also. The average person rejects the principles of Christs words because they see in that way the whole world taking advantage of them to the point where they would be divested of everything they had. Go the second mile! Do a little more for others. Having laid out these guidelines for human behavior, Christ confirmed that this was the way in which His Father practiced the law. What is meant by the power of the Lord? Mt. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord needs them, and he will send them at once. This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? P He takes the Ten Commandments and then says to do more. Christ's urging is like a timid flower within the Sermon on the Mount, but the fragrance it gives can transform your whole life and work wonders . But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? Rather that you can take another by your own initiative. Mark 15:21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. How did the spirit of God move upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2? And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. Report Vote Up That whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 1:16). People dont care how much you know until they know that your care. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 41. Doing more than the status Quo! And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. He is explaining the way in which God desires His directives, Thou shalt not kill, steal, and lie, to be understood, consider the difference between humanitys philosophy and the teachings of Jesus Christ. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. The offer of the second mile was actually a way to unmask the power play, to nonviolently subvert the system by playing right into the ridiculousness of it all. Your presence offers protection and comfort. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. This explanation will be fully developed when we examine the various incidents of the Old Testament period. Community answers are sorted based on votes. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.. This scripture is from the very well-known passage of the Sermon On The Mount. Great profit would be gained by studying every statement made by Christ in this sermon, but time and space will not be taken to do this here. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.. Time To Go The Second Mile. Read full chapter Matthew 5:41 in all English translations Matthew 4 Matthew 6 King James Version (KJV) Public Domain PLUS Save 30% for the first year of a yearly subscription! Perhaps one of the most disturbing statements that Jesus ever made is this: If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (Matthew 5:41) The reason this statement was so disturbing was because in Jesus day Rome And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. On the contrary, He warned that sin is the act of separating from God, so that there remains no protection from the destructive forces thus set in motion. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. God is in a position of power from which He can obliterate any opposition by a single word. 16:19). Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Text: Matthew 5:41 Withdraw or retire, literally or figuratively. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Matthew 5:41, Matthew 5:41-45. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. A singer-songwriter and wannabe author, Corey blogs about faith, spirituality, and poetry at www.coreyfarr.com. Start FREE. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. God does not support any of the devils activities, even though he is the recipient of Gods blessings just as the most wicked person receives the outflow of Gods life and love in the seedtime and harvest, the rain and the wind, and the continued protection from total and final disaster. In Matthew 5, He touches on these subjects as well as several others, including the importance of forgiveness and generosity. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The Novum Testamentum Graece text is: , ' . How does cultural context bear upon the way God works with humanity? ================== But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. But there comes a time when the people reject His way and turn to their own, yet still desire God to be with them. As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. (Mat 5:38-41) "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." GOING THE SECOND MILE - MATT. C So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles a division of Good News Publishers, All rights reserved. 77, 78). In thirty-seven verses the Lord says, The Law; Moses; ye say; ye have heard; or it hath been said, but I say unto you. Ye have heard that it hath been said, (old) An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, (new) That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Roman soldiers could force citizens of Israel or any foreigner to carry their backpacks for a mile. Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. Seventy time seven is four hundred and ninety times. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. The second mile that Jesus was referring to was not just a nice platitude that he made up on the spot. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. (Old) And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, (new) go with him twain (two) (Matt. You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. Our goal is that our comment section helps us learn from one another and grow to be more like Christ. The appearances certainly point to Christ as being at variance with His Father on what the law was and how it should be kept. 11:44; 19:2; Luke 6:36; [Col. 1:28; 4:12]; James 1:4; 1 Pet. A loud commanding voice rang out. Such a resolution of the problem must be rejected because the perfect law is an unchangeable as the God who gave it. D Can and does God give instructions built upon imperfect sinful foundations? And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. God does love His enemies. New Heart English Bible And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. The time must never come when the children of God ceases to love his or her enemy, blessing them and doing good to them. The Second Mile and Beyond For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. Title: Going Beyond When God commits Himself to a pledge of that nature, there is absolute assurance that He will never vary from it in the slightest degree. Show hospitality as Aquila and Priscilla (1 Cor. Before He began to explain the law as He had given it and would live it, He warned that, even though it might appear so to them, he had not come to do away with the law but to establish it. Theme: Showing the importance of taking the extra step. This aspect of the law was studied back in post 7. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. Pentecostal. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. It will be shown when this point is reached that God acted out the role of a Savior exclusively, and that Christs sole objective was to bring them back from their own way to Gods. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. 4. Just look at this one idea, "to the second mile," which has become almost a clich in everyday speech. 43You have heard that it was said, (H)You shall love your neighbor (I)and hate your enemy. 44[a]But I say to you, (J)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (K)do good to those who hate you, and pray (L)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (M)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. Here we have the classics: love your enemy, give to those who ask of you, and turn the other cheek. It conveys the idea that there must first be the same character in the Christian as in the Father before there can be the corresponding behavior without. " If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." Matthew 5:41 These words of Jesus would have been profoundly disturbing to his first-century audience. They will keep the law exactly as God, the King of Righteousness, keeps it. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments. N He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? Having relegated the teaching, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, to the errors of humankinds ways, Christ then set forth His amplification of the law. E It is one thing to go the first mile but what about the second (extra) mile. By the misrepresentation of the testimony of Gods word, Satan has convinced people that, if ever God did make such a pledge, He certainly has not honored it. There is neither time nor place where the law is to be broken in order to assure that it is kept. This particular image, The Second Mile, is one of a collection of 45 thought-provoking photos by Michael Belk, which can be found at Journeys with the Messiah. Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. . (Exodus 20:1). When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. Blog posts will remain open for comments for 5 days. There is one body and one Spiritjust as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord, one faith, one baptism, For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.. To understand the attitude of genuine love that the Father has for His lost son, a distinction must be made between love together with fellowship, and love without it. He gives the blessings for their good, but the perversion of them is the responsibility of those who misuse the gift. What the Bible says about Going the Extra Mile ( From Forerunner Commentary ) Matthew 5:38-42 Normally and customarily, self-defense is a legal right in virtually every nation on earth, but in the Christian's case, God says, "No, it is not a right. He may use friends. New Revised Standard Version and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 7480 US-52, New Palestine, IN 46163, USA. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. What situation was David going through when he wrote Psalm 42? 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. I Word Count 2513 Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm . Satan certainly comes into this classification, for he is the archenemy. But Jesus said to return love for hate, blessing for cursing, and goodness for evil. But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. This was very early in the life of the Disciples. Title: Living in the Second Mile A solution to this problem offered in our day is to teach dispensationalism. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. Be assured on the strength of Christs witness of His Father that God loves the devil and will therefore only bless and do him good. G A 'mile'. Thus, the subject was actually turned into an object to be used as a pack mule. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus to get the best value in digital Bible study. of adjectives. Prepare for Easter with Bible Gateway Plus. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Scripture: St. Matthew 5:41 ), [Prov. Should the explanation in Genesis on how God created plants before the sun affect the understanding of creation? R Jesus gave them If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have. Why will you continue to rebel? Pastor at Springs of Power Church, Teacher by professional, Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? couragedeathextra mileJewMartyrNaziNonviolenceOppressionPacifismpowersinSubversive. R It is not about me but thee. Not ME but WE. Y Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. To many, Christ adopted a course here that laid Him open to the charge of denying the law as God in the Old Testament had taught it. V By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Here is some important background information concerning this practice: get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Let what you say be simply Yes or No; anything more than this comes from evil. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Notice: Due to renovations, the SWM office is closed March 2-12. Therefore, humanity might well tremble in dread before such a God if He were indeed altogether such as ourselves. For added effect, remember that Jesus was a Jew. read more, Scripture: Be a second miler. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Up to seven times: Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Be polite. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.