Go the Second 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 tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Love Your Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
For those listening to Jesus, the quote about “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is a familiar saying, but where does it come from? Exodus 21:22-23 tells us, “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Although that statement appears harsh, it is actually a step forward. Previously, people took any revenge they wanted to, including murder, for a relatively minor injury. All these years, the crowd has been following the tenets of Moses, but now Jesus is saying that retaliation in any form has no place in the Kingdom of heaven.
Many in the crowd must be growing restless, wondering why Jesus is saying these things. Some of these people are so poor that they only have one tunic or one cloak; if they give those things away, they will walk around naked with no protection from the cold. And what is Jesus referring to when he advises to go an extra mile? Remember that Israel is under Roman occupation. It is common for Roman soldiers to demand that ordinary citizens drop what they are doing to carry the soldiers’ equipment. Jesus is advising that if a soldier compels you to carry his equipment one mile, you should offer to carry it a second mile as well, doing more than has been expected or asked.
Sharing is another difficult concept for many in the crowd. Money lenders have existed ever since money has been used, and the regulations for these people have been spelled out in the Law of Moses. But Jesus is advocating sharing without collecting interest or even expecting any return and allowing people to borrow freely. The beggars are always present; is Jesus demanding that the crowd give everything away to beggars?
Jesus habitually makes radical statements to shake up the crowd and to grab their attention. Just as Jesus has advised dismemberment rather than disgrace, now Jesus is advising radical sharing rather than greed.
These teachings have always troubled missionaries who find themselves as wealthy people in poor countries where needs are overwhelming. Questions come quickly: “Must I give away all my child’s toys, leaving my child with nothing? Is Jesus really demanding that I give away all my clothes and walk around naked? What about the vehicle I use for ministry?” There are no cut and dried answers to these questions. The only answer possible is to view all one’s possessions as belonging to Jesus and then asking Jesus to direct the giving. We have given away vehicles to others in ministry and have been blessed in doing so, for those recipients are routinely sharing their God-given resources with others. On the other hand, there are those who will visit us and then ask for everything in the house, even though we know that they may have better possessions than we do. We try not to give to leeches or to create dependency.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Here is a teaching which brooks no argument. God hates revenge. How many people curse God and do everything to provoke Him; meanwhile, God continues to send sunshine and rain impartially? Why should we love our enemies and bless them, doing good for them, and praying for them? This teaching is one of the thorniest teachings of Jesus, but it is necessary. As long as we are plotting revenge, we are digging an ever-deepening spiritual hole for ourselves. When we pray for our enemies or for those who spitefully use us, we release God’s power to change them. There are many testimonies from those working in companies that when they began praying for their difficult bosses, their bosses changed. Think about it: if you don’t intercede for people, how will they ever change for the better? The more irritating someone is, the more you need to pray God’s richest blessings on that person, for only God knows the way to that person’s heart and only God knows their circumstances.
How can you pray for someone who is spitefully using you? Here is a model prayer:
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are surrounded by critics and enemies. We pray Your richest blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control on all these people. You have told us in Galatians 5:22-23 that these are the fruits of Your Holy Spirit; if their lives are full of Your Holy Spirit, they will be transformed. . We pray that You send the Love of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, and the Fire of the Holy Spirit upon our critics and on us as well. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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