Going the Extra Mile.

"If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two." Matthew 5:41


Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

"And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain-an allusion, probably, to the practice of the Romans and some Eastern nations, who, when government despatches had to be forwarded, obliged the people not only to furnish horses and carriages, but to give personal attendance, often at great inconvenience, when required. But the thing here demanded is a readiness to submit to unreasonable demands of whatever kind, rather than raise quarrels, with all the evils resulting from them. What follows is a beautiful extension of this precept."

I went to bed after posting this, opened the Bible, and the first verse I read was this:

"A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull) ...They crucified him."

This is an example of how the Roman soldiers could force people to do work for them. They themselves would never have stooped to carry a cross, but they could make someone else do it. Simon's sons were probably the two men spoken of by Paul and Luke. They were believers in Jesus. Their father was compelled to carry Jesus' cross that day. He must have stayed to see Jesus crucified and hear his words. The unfair force by the Romans turned out to be, I am sure, a great blessing for Simon. I am sure he never forgot that day and was glad God chose him to carry His son's cross to Golgotha.