THE SECRET OF THE SECOND MILE

These thoughts are added to each Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
(Scroll down to read previous thoughts)
(Use in your personal or church newsletters)

Matt 5:41
Whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

Like so much of scripture, it helps to hop aboard a time machine and stand in the midst of the culture of 2000 years ago. Stand in the crowd listening to Jesus make this monumental comment. Understand how and why He really was pushing the envelope.

You see, at that time,

Under Roman law a Roman soldier could compel a Jew to carry his burden for him one mile wherever he told him to walk. It didn’t matter if the Jew had other plans in a different direction or was short of time. It was all quite simple. The Roman said “Do it” and there was no room for negotiation.

And then into this dilemma steps Jesus with His unusual logic and fine-tuned way of living. In so many words He says, “Oh yes, there is room to negotiate. It’s just that I want you to negotiate to more, not less.”

You want utter madness? This, to his listeners, was certainly getting close. It was frustrating enough to have to obey the Romans in the first place, but to offer, of their own free will, to do more?

Incredible!

A Jew might feel like giving the Roman a fist full of knuckles and a belly full of contempt, but bottom line…he reached down, lifted up and began his required 5,280 foot journey. Oh, he could refuse if he wanted free room and board in the local jail, but that didn’t make a lot of sense. So what Jesus was saying to them was either totally crazy or first class advice.

Leave it to the Master. He knew what He was talking about. He knew that every step of that first mile, carrying that ordered burden, produced an ever increasing amount of resentment. It had to. It was a loss of control.

Therefore, Jesus wasn’t saying - don’t get mad, get even; rather He was emphasizing gain back control. Carry the load a second mile because you have volunteered to do so. Now that second mile is your decision. Your exercise of free will. The first mile is a burden – both physically and emotionally, but when you volunteer the second mile it is only a physical burden. Your physical burden by choice – now you are in charge.

Unfortunately, human nature, in any century, is often much more inclined to do less not more. Ready to take more often than to give. People don’t want to be put upon, and laziness comes naturally.

And then smack dab into the middle of these psychological hang ups Jesus drops a bombshell, “Whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.”

I doubt if many of you have ever run a two mile race. It is not a distance one should run without sufficient training. Yet when I ran track in college, it was my favorite distance and one of the reasons was that my second wind would kick in. One minute, I was running out of steam and then suddenly I felt like I was running with the wind. I believe this is what Jesus was talking about.

Of course, not a second mile measured in feet, but a second spiritual mile in which one receives a Spiritual second wind. You see, as one champion distance runner put it, “You run the first mile with your legs, the second mile with your heart.”

So let’s make a spiritually logical leap and apply this to every day living. Have you ever met someone who upon first meeting you realized the chemistry just wasn’t there?

Your first mile wasn’t too much of a success in setting up a relationship. Fact of the matter, it was a burden. You may even have prayed a short prayer, “Lord, I’m going to need some help with this one.”

But then you stuck with it, reached out with Christian charity that let you look and listen a little more closely. Looking and listening for some good chemistry which you were determined to find.

Something about the person you could like. And you found it. And then you found other goodly things. You went the second mile and you found it, and now you had a new friend.

The world is full of people who try to get by with as little as they possibly can - never extending themselves. The worker who nails no more nails, fixes no more motors, paints no more doors than he has to. The clock-watcher who works only for the gold he can get, rather than for the glory he or she can give.

First-mile-people complaining every foot of the way. Speak to them about a second mile, extra effort and they will look at you as if they think you are from another planet.

The mother who complains about her motherhood and makes it clear to her child that she believes he or she is a burden.

Mother Theresa went the second mile. The first mile was just being a nun, and compared to the second mile that was easy. So what did she do? She walked a second mile of additional sacrifice.

The Founding Fathers of our country sacrificed comfort, wealth and family to lead a young America to the shores of freedom.

Albert Sweitzer could have basked in fame as a renowned European musician. Instead he chose a second mile that led him to darkest Africa as a missionary.
Second miles put muscles on their soul. Second-mile-people put a smile on the face of heaven.

SOME POSTINGS ON ONE A DAY YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS
SOME RECENT TITLES
Nov 25…GETTING SOMEWHERE AND FINDING OUT YOU DON’T WANT TO STAY
Nov 17…ARE YOU HAVING INSTALLATION PROBLEMS?
Nov 14…WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BEST TWO WORDS IN YOUR VOCABULARY?
Nov 13…WHAT SHOULD YOU DO THAT ONE DAY YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT NOW YOU CAN DO?
Have a friend visit my ONE A DAY YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS site. Have them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”
Or type in the URL http://oneadayyourspiritualvitamins.blogspot.com/

And, yes, if this site has met any of your needs share it with a friend. Just have them go to “Google Search” and type in “Wyrick’s Writings”
Or type in the URL http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

And, yes, maybe they will back track a few weeks to read other of my musings.

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE.