But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Dont love things, love people. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Deepen your knowledge of Christ's journey to the Cross. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the hell of fire. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Its unfortunate that weve adopted this phrase into our culture and completely misappropriated it. So what do you say? For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Expand. For less than $5/mo. As traveling guests leave, hosts should not just walk a mile (old), but walk a second mile (new). E There is a reason the word martyr literally means witness,and there is a reason why the greatest witness to the heart of God was precisely God himself becoming a martyr accepting death at the hands of the oppressors to overturn not only the system of empire, but also sin, death, and oppression everywhere. Z. What is meant by, "A body prepared for me" in Hebrews 10:5? GOING THE SECOND MILE - MATT. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. When this characteristic of behavior on Gods part is seen, the last problems in understanding His character will disappear. It is interesting to note a like illustration of the temper that yields to compulsion of this kind, rather than struggle or resist, in the teaching of the Stoic Epictetus--"Should there be a forced service, and a soldier should lay hold on thee, let him work his will; do not resist or murmur" (Diss. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Disciples Go The Second Mile [Prov. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 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. 11:44; 19:2; Luke 6:36; [Col. 1:28; 4:12]; James 1:4; 1 Pet. If lies are told about you, do not lie in return; if they steal your goods, do not seek to steal them back again; if they seek your life, do not seek theirs. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And he had to pass through Samaria. Baptist. Publisher: OpenBible.info. For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 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 . He does not counsel us to love our enemies except for Satan. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? For they do not wash their hands when they eat. He answered them, And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? Be a second miler. 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. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 25:40). Could it be possible that God loves Satan even to this very day? The second mile opens up conversations that would never happen in the first mile. Therefore, humanity might well tremble in dread before such a God if He were indeed altogether such as ourselves. It was to deliver people from their concept of keeping the law and replace it with the true one, that Christ came to this earth. The law was not given by God to protect Himself from humankind. (Luke 5:17), What "little ones" was Jesus talking about? 16:19). 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. read more, Scripture: 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? An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Therefore, if doing this makes us the children of God and thus the reproduction of Him, then God loves His enemies, including Satan. Pay attention to yourselves! Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. "If anyone forces you to go one mile go also the second mile." He may use fear. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. He was also familiar with the view that people took of what God had done. I am praying for them. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matt. Seventy time seven is four hundred and ninety times. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 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. Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house! As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Do not even the [c]tax collectors do so? But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. Geocoding Lets do what is expected, then do what is unexpected. They will then begin to understand and testify with the words of the Bible writers: Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works. They compelled this man to carry his cross. Introduction: Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Why did Herod like to listen to John the Baptist, who criticized Herods lifestyle? Christians are to know no other way. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 23:23). He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Or, in the words of the latest English translation: "If a man in authority makes you go one mile, go with him two." Untie them and bring them to me. W And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 6:7; 1 Pet. But . Edward Hardee, 7/2000) But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.. Jesus said, "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two" (Matt. These words of Jesus would have been profoundly disturbing to his first-century audience. Truly, His ways are mas much higher than our ways as the heavens are above the earth. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. What does "going the second mile" mean? Labs You will find them in St. Matthew's Gospel, chapter five, verse 41: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Go the second mile! Go the Second Mile Jesus' first great sermon was a clear statement of what the law really meant, alerting the people to know that that which "was said to them of old," was not the version He had come to bring them. Small wonder then that the Pharisees, who subscribed so vigorously to the old Mosaic law, should regard Christ as being the worst kind of lawbreaker. By making this free choice, he would not only be demonstrating the extravagant generosity of God; he would also be placing the soldier into an embarrassing situation, because to allow the extra mile would actually be breaking the law. S INTRODUCTION: (Explain Vs. 38-42) This scripture is from the very well known passage of the Sermon On The Mount. They were their oppressors, and were hated Used by permission. If you are the children of God you are partakers of His nature, and you cannot but be like Him. He may use friends. So Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I understand that God shows no partiality. With the YouVersion Bible App, you can read, watch, listen, and share on your smartphone or tablet, and online at Bible.com. Such a resolution of the problem must be rejected because the perfect law is an unchangeable as the God who gave it. August 11 2015 read more. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. IF not, then what would we call them? Believe in God; believe also in me. Bring the beauty and truth of the Bible into everyday life. They were their oppressors, and were hated by the Jews. H Read full chapter Do not even the tax collectors do the same? But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not . The Second Mile and Beyond When Jesus bore this beautiful and truthful testimony of His Father, He knew all that God had done in the Old Testament. He simply says, Love your enemies. Therefore, anyone who can be classified as an enemy is to be loved. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. A touch can mean much. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. I and my attendants will fast as you do. That whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Why? Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. In great mercy, He provides directives effecting, if obeyed the best conditions possible under humanitys system. Roman soldiers could force citizens of Israel or any foreigner to carry their backpacks for a mile. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. BIBLE "If anyone forces you to go one mile go also the second mile." Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. 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. 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. Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile. 20:22]; Luke 6:29; [Rom. Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. On Sunday, November 18, 2007 Be polite. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. Matthew 5:41, KJV: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have. Matthew 5:38-42 Matthew 5:41, Matthew 5:41-50. THE SECOND MILE The word twain means two. People find safety in this doctrine of deterrence. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus to get the best value in digital Bible study. This is the third verse of the antithesis on the commandment: "Eye for an eye". Judge not, that you be not judged. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. D They would be a financial failure. Listen! S document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Notice: Due to renovations, the SWM office is closed March 2-12. This must take place, but the end is not yet. Go the second mile! If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Of all the beings who have ever existed, no one has ever hated God more fiercely, cursed Him more savagely, done evil to Him more extensively, or persecuted Him more relentlessly than Satan. This is to say that the law is to be kept under all circumstances. Word Count 2513 Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm . Why? It's in the second mile that Jesus is most often glorified. Thus, the subject was actually turned into an object to be used as a pack mule. Serving humanity in these ways, the law is a wonderful thing indeed, but the greatest wonder of all is that it actually protects human beings from God. Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular. 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. They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. 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. Rather, it would have struck a very real and painful nerve. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The hearers evaluation of Christs presentation and position would depend then on their having a spiritual perception of what he was saying. Priests, lawyers, scribes, and Pharisees obeyed and enforced these laws but only did what was expected and no more (Matt. When the real nature of Gods righteousness is understood and appreciated, it will call forth from the hearts of those who thus see it a rapture of praise and adoration otherwise impossible. Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Publication date: Jan 4, 2023. 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. All nations whom you have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. We say he went the extra mile to indicate someone worked extra hard on a project or stayed late at work or put up more Christmas decorations than anyone else on the street. And he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? The Jews practiced 613 laws (do/not do laws mostly about the Sabbath). God spoke these words to Moses with the direction that they be told to, and obeyed by, the people. . (D)But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. There is a song, Those little things mean a lot. Nothing is as: touching as a tear, needed as a hug, rewarding as a kind deed, timely as a friend, appreciated as kindness, needed as love, tender as a touch. 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. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away (Matthew 5:39-42). Matthew 5:38-41. No one comes to the Father except through me. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Israel, during the time of Christ, was under Roman rule. J But there comes a time when the people reject His way and turn to their own, yet still desire God to be with them. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. OpenBible.info 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. This is the great and first commandment. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? This But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 6:7; 1 Pet. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. To the human mind, this is the only available solution to the problem. 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. Why will you still be struck down? Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Now the Lord says not only to go one expected mile but go an unexpected second mile. There is always someone demanding you go the second mile for them. When thus called upon by rightful authority to travel or do public service, be ready to go farther or do even more than is required, rather than resist the government. Satan would then have the argument he needed to win the controversy. Webster's Bible Translation No ruler in human history is like unto our God. The Pharisees lives were as fine an example as can be found of living the law according to human interpretation of how it should be kept. One of the most hated of Roman laws: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. T In doing so, He makes no exception of the devil. He, she, it, they, them, same. New King James Version Go the Second Mile 38 "You have heard that it was said,'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person.But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Then the LORD said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel . The Bible talks about this extra mile. Since the grace of God is given to us, we in turn should bestow that same means and measure of grace upon others. Report, January 01 2016 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.. Share And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. In summary, Jesus is saying we need to be pure inside and out and as accommodating as possible for the sake of a lost world. The words are taken from the Bible. So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Christ neither shared nor taught such a view. He makes me lie down in green pastures. God does love His enemies. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. 4. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Hospitality is when you open your heart and not just your home. 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. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' . Up to seven times: Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?. read more, Scripture: 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. He now taught another new law of the second mile. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. The World English Bible translates the passage as: Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. This was very early in the life of the Disciples. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, INC. All rights reserved. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Psalm 119:33-40 Second mile walking means we take the extra way. In this discourse, Christ is magnifying the law. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. There is no turning of the other cheek, no going the second mile, no love for their enemies, and no blessing of those who do them evil. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. Im a Musician - I want to be a successful Pianist, Singer, Songwriter. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.. Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular, Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. Earthly potentates know only one way to deal with such elements in society and that is to meet force with force. Matthew 14:15-21, Denomination: (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! As surely as forgiveness is to be forever, the turning of the other cheek is likewise to be forever. M 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. Of Latin origin; a thousand paces, i.e. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments. Why will you continue to rebel? You can visualize a Jew counting his steps until he makes that last 1,000th step but not one step farther. Genesis 24:1-9 Matthew 5:38-48 Text Genesis 24:9-20 The soldiers attempt to intimidate and humiliate the peasant now leads to uncomfortable embarrassment. Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular. 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. "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. Jesus was/is Extra - Ordinary and 'The Greatest Walker wants us to Walk that extra - mile, but when? Was John the Baptist conceived via an immaculate conception? The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Our goal is that our comment section helps us learn from one another and grow to be more like Christ. Community answers are sorted based on votes. 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. They will keep the law exactly as God, the King of Righteousness, keeps it. Q At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 1. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. Handed down. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. But Jesus said to return love for hate, blessing for cursing, and goodness for evil. Unless otherwise noted: All text used within this website are from the New King James Version 2010 By Andrews University Press. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But the people who gathered to hear that wonderful Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7, came with erroneous concepts of the law and the kingdom of God. Today's Verse: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Vote Up G The time must never come when the children of God ceases to love his or her enemy, blessing them and doing good to them. read more. The prayers that make up the Mysteries of the Rosary ask us to meditate on a variety of pivotal . Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. We show up to do something for God and then get angry because not enough showed up so we 06 The Constitution of the Government of God, God Is Not A Criminal | The Bible In Your Hand, The Way of the Cross | The Bible In Your Hand, The Mystery-unfolding Cross | The Bible In Your Hand, The Mystery of Iniquity Satans Masterpiece of Deception | The Bible In Your Hand, An Eye for an Eye | The Bible In Your Hand. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. Mt. They prefer to work at being more powerful than their enemy so that they can hit back harder than they can be hit. NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. And God spoke all these words saying . Get a 14-day FREE trial, then less than $5/mo. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. 'But I tell you not to resist an evil person. A 'mile'. (Matthew 5:38, 39). Here we have the classics: love your enemy, give to those who ask of you, and turn the other cheek. When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. 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.