“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
(Matthew 5:37-48)
Today’s Morsel: Reading today’s passage, you can understand why the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith when he told them if someone sins against them to forgive them 470 times in a day. On the surface Jesus' teachings are obscure. But once you know Him, they become plain to the hearer. In today’s passage, a portion from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that if they were compelled to go a mile, to go two. Why go further than what was asked of them? It has been stated by some commentaries that when Jesus spoke this, He was referring to relaying the king’s messages. Barn’s commentary states, “Post-offices were then unknown. In order that the royal commands might be delivered with safety and dispatch in different parts of the empire, Cyrus stationed horsemen at proper intervals on all the great public highways. One of those delivered the message to another, and intelligence was thus rapidly and safely communicated. These heralds were permitted to compel any person, or to press any horse, boat, ship, or other vehicle that they might need for the quick transmission of the king’s commandments. It was to this custom that our Saviour refers. Rather, says he, than resist a public authority requiring your attendance and aid for a certain distance, go peaceably twice the distance.” Are you willing to go the extra mile to relay your King’s Command?
Sing: If I walk in the pathway of duty, if I seek for His sheep that’s already gone astray, I shall see the Great King in all His Glory, when I’ve gone the last mile of the way.
When I’ve gone, the last mile of the way, I shall rest at the close of the day, for I know there is joy that awaits my heart and my soul, when I’ve gone the last mile of the way.
Thought For Today: “Keep on trucking.”
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