Sayings

Going  the Extra Mile - Matthew 5:38-42“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 an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also, and if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well, and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

The saying is that you should go above and beyond what is required or necessary. When the Lord spoke these words, Palestine had been occupied by Rome for about 100 years.

Now the Romans had learned many things from the Persians.

They had learned not only to conquer the land and but also use the people for their good. If a Persian soldier were on a journey, he would tell a local to carry his sword or something for a mile.

Out of fear for his own life the individual would obey and carry the sword.

The Romans followed their lead and did the same to the Jewish civilians. The Romans went so far as to write a law which said the local must carry the burden for one mile if asked to carry something. This was humiliating to the Jew and the Romans enjoyed it.

Maximus the Confessor a Theologian of Constantinople (580 – 662) said, “Because of the humiliation the burden bearer would only go one mile and no further. The Lord however told His followers that if they were commanded to carry the weapon for one mile that they should carry the weapon an extra mile.Maximus the Confessor once said, “But I say to you, the Lord says, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you. Why did he command these things? So that he might free you from hatred, sadness, anger and grudges, and might grant you the greatest possession of all, perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one who loves all equally in imitation of God.”

Lord thank you for all those who have gone, go and will go the extra mile for me and help me to go the extra mile where I need to. Make my going the extra mile count as I run the Christian race, send me divine helpers and divinely connect me to others. Amen