The
Second Mile
Matthew 5:38-48
September 16, 2007 Pastor
Garrison
Tough stuff. Just
what do you do with the tough teachings of Jesus like these? In our Brethren heritage we have held up the Sermon
on the Mount, the fifth through seventh chapters of Matthew, to be about as
sacred as we can get. We talk the talk
real well, but do we walk the walk? Do
we really turn the other cheek, go the extra mile or pray for and love our
enemies? What do you do with the tough teachings of Jesus?
There are
at least three ways we might respond to these teachings of Jesus which are so
contrary to our natural human inclination. First, we might just simply ignore them, but in my Bible these
verses are in red letters so that indicates that Jesus said them and, if I say
I am a follower of Jesus, I don’t think they can just be ignored. Second, we might try to rationalize them as nice
ideas, but impractical for the time in which we live. The trouble with that approach is that it
completely ignores the fact that these words of Jesus were spoken to people
whose lands were under Roman occupation and the so-called “peace of
So what do
we do with the Sermon on the Mount? It
is tough enough trying to live out things like loving enemies or turning the
other cheek, but then Jesus adds this little twist in verse 48: “But
you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Let me tell
you the Perfect Story: There was a
perfect man who met a perfect woman.
After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect.
One snowy,
stormy Christmas Eve this perfect couple was driving along a winding road when
they noticed someone at the roadside in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to
help. There stood Santa Claus with a
huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to
disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded
Santa and his toys into their vehicle.
Soon they were driving along delivering the toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions
deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived. Who was the survivor?
Answer: The perfect woman. She’s the only that really existed in the
first place. Everyone knows there is no
Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man.
However, if
there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the perfect woman must have been
driving. This explains why there was a
car accident.
Perfection – is it something we can attain? The answer quite simply is no. That whole story is farcical anyhow since the
only perfect man was Jesus. BUT, perfection
is a goal toward which we as followers of Jesus are to strive.
When I was
in fourth grade I started taking clarinet lessons. When I was in ninth grade I began taking
piano lessons. I worked hard at both,
but, in retrospect, not as hard as I could have. I only went so far in developing my skills
and, even though I had some great experiences and accomplished more than most,
I never came anywhere close to perfection.
The Greek
word in Matthew 5:48 which is translated “perfect” signifies “having reached
its end” or the idea of being finished or complete. In my musical experience it could be
understood as going as far in developing my skills as is possible.
Looking at what Jesus
is saying in the Sermon on the Mount, perfection
is attaining total Christ-likeness, becoming a finished work of Christ,
which, since we live in an imperfect and sinful world is, in reality only an
ideal, but, none the less, it is the ideal toward which we who profess Christ
as Lord need to press.
In the
Sermon on the Mount and, especially in the verses read this morning, Jesus
paints a collage illustrating what perfection looks like. Many of the pieces of the collage begin with
the words, “You have heard…” followed with, “but I say…” Most of these “you have heards” refer to
portions of the Old Testament law. Jesus
affirms the law. Indeed such laws as an
“eye for an eye” were actually intended to put limits on revenge for a wrong
done, in other words, no more than an eye for an eye. But Jesus takes the law one step further and
shows us God’s perfect moral law. So
what does perfection look like? Let’s
look at some pieces of the collage.
Perfection
requires that we take insult without retaliation. “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury:
‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer
the other cheek also.” In order to
slap another person on the right cheek, the aggressor would have to use the
back of the right hand, which in most cultures including Middle Eastern culture
in Jesus’ day was considered a great insult.
To not return evil for evil risks placing ourselves under the subjection
of those with evil intent. In spite of
that possibility Jesus said don’t retaliate, but offer the other cheek as
well.
If
we would be perfect, we should freely go the extra mile. It was Roman law that a soldier could
commandeer civilians to carry their packs for 1,000 paces or a mile. Jesus said, don’t just do it for one mile,
but go for two. Perfection requires we
go beyond the minimum requirement.
Perfection
requires we practice unselfish generosity.
In Matthew 19:21 Jesus tells the rich young man, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give
the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow
me.” In reality, such generosity is
probably beyond our human capacity.
Author Leon Morris says such total generosity “is self-defeating. There would soon be a class of saintly
paupers, owning nothing, and another of prosperous idlers and thieves.” In a sinful world it is probably not possible
for us to attain to this level of perfection, yet again, it is a goal toward
which we are to take small steps as we are given the opportunity.
For
those who would be perfect, their love must be non -discriminative and not
a sentimental love, but a total desire for the good of others even those who
would persecute us. The example Jesus
gives is of God, who, in his perfect love, “sends
rain on the just and the unjust alike.”
There
are two primary principles at work in this concept of attaining to perfection
or becoming a finished or completed work in Christ. The first is Christians go beyond the
expectations of human society.
Jesus distinguished between the
standards of morality observed in the world and in the Old Testament Law and
the standard to which his disciples should aim.
Most of you have heard it said that one good turn deserves another. It’s something with which even irreligious
people can identify and practice. Even
in secular society to repay a good turn with a bad one would be regarded as
unacceptable behavior. But Jesus said, don’t be content with even the acceptable standards of
behavior. While one good turn may indeed
deserve another, Jesus says his disciples need to take that another step. Even a bad turn should be repaid with a good
one. Jesus disciples must “go the second
mile.” They must do more than others do
if they are to truly follow him. “If you love only those who love you, what
reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are
you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your
Father in heaven is perfect.” Jesus challenges
us to go the whole way in doing good, just as God
does.
Behind all of this is the second principle – love. The only way we can even begin to strive for
this level of perfection Jesus describes is to learn to love as he loved
us. And that is only possible as we
place our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and then living by
the power of the Holy Spirit which is within us.
So what does all of this have to do with fruit-bearing? And what on earth exactly is
fruit-bearing? Many think of it in terms
of winning souls for Christ while others think fruit-bearing refers to acts of
social justice and service. While both
views are valid, I think it is these and more.
In John 15:1-4 Jesus says, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is
the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and
he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by
the message I have given you. Remain in
me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce
fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you
remain in me.”
Fruit-bearing
finds its roots in faith – faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on
the cross – his death, resurrection, ascension and promise to come again; faith
that we are made clean by the blood of Christ, forgiven and set free from the power
of sin over our lives. Jesus called it
“remaining in him” – faithfulness, complete trust, complete commitment.
When we give our lives to Jesus, the
Holy Spirit fills us. In John 14:16-17 just prior to his crucifixion
Jesus said to his disciples, “… I will
ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave
you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads
into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him
and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and
later will be in you.” That promise
was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven
like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were
sitting. Then, what looked like flames
or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present
was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the
Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”
The Holy Spirit is living in you now
if you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.
It is by the power of the Spirit
in us that we are able to bear fruit, fruit that is first of all made
evident in the transformation which takes place in our own lives when we come
to faith. “…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians
Still, this is not
automatic for us. The Holy Spirit
doesn’t work a magic spell on us which causes us to perform like robots
producing fruit for God. Rather, the
Spirit urges us on, works on us and convicts us. It is a continual growth process. We must give ourselves completely to growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter
All of this – faith, the
Holy Spirit, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus – all of this helps to
build in us an authentic faith. I
looked up the word “authentic” in Merriam-Webster and found this definition:
“conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features.” As Christians we are to conform to Jesus
Christ and reproduce in our lives all the essential features of Jesus. An authentic Christian looks like Jesus. Will anyone ever get there totally? No, but that is the goal toward which we
strive.
So in reality, how do we
produce fruit for Jesus in the 21st century, in this culture, in
this community? What is required of
us? For an example, let’s take a moment to
watch and listen to a young woman who I think typifies many of the people with
whom we come into contact in our daily lives.
Listen carefully because I have a couple questions for you afterwards.
VIDEO – Unspoken Plea (web site below will open the video – copy and
paste into your web browser)
http://www.sermonspice.com/videos/10519/an-unspoken-plea/
How would you describe
this woman’s situation in life? Is she
like anyone you know? What does she
really want from us?
The woman in the video
typifies so many people today who are hungering for something more and, like
she says, we have what she needs. But if
that is really the case, why aren’t people flocking to churches by the
millions? What have we Christians done
or not done in representing Christ to the world? Partly I believe is that we have set up in
the church a culture of condemnation and criticism. We’ve developed an us
and them mentality – the saved and the lost.
We’ve basically said in not so
many words that when you become like us, we’ll let you in. The problem is that for too many people, what
they find the attitudes of many Christians more repulsive than attractive.
The world is desperate
for love and truth. What did she ask of
us? She said show me love and don’t
judge me. She’s looking for people who
live authentic and genuine lives – who reflect what Jesus is really all
about. She wants us to look beyond the
façade she puts on and look to the real hurts underneath. She needs us to stop being Pharisaical,
critical and condemning, in our attitudes and actions and be more like
Jesus. “When’s it going to happen?” she
asks.
If we are to be
authentic Christians – living examples of Jesus Christ – we need to draw on our
faith, the power of the Holy Spirit in us and be willing to grow and go. The fields ripe for harvest are not within
the safe walls of this church. They are
out there – as the sign leaving the parking lot says, “You are now entering the
mission field.”
We will bear fruit for
the kingdom when we live with authenticity and with integrity; when we truly
reflect the life, the light, the hope, the love of Jesus in our lives; when we,
in our actions and in our words, go beyond the standards of the world, willing
to risk turning the other cheek, willing to go the second mile, desiring the
best for even our enemies, willing to love as Jesus loved – putting others
above ourselves, loving without condition, loving because we have first been
loved.
We are called to strive for
perfection or completeness, aiming to become that finished product in
Jesus. “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from
sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”. (Hebrews
12:1-3 NIV)
So when is it going to
happen? When will we get serious about
becoming fruit-bearers for the kingdom?
When will we open our eyes to the immense cultural changes which have
taken place around us and to which the church has been so slow to react? When will we take seriously Jesus’ call to go
and make disciples? Can we make room in
the church for more sinners?
The potential is within
us by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit. All that is missing is the desire and the
commitment to do so.
When we get upset about
the way things are going in the world, in our places of work or in our
neighborhoods we need to keep in mind something Jim Wallis wrote, in his book God’s Politics, “We are the people we
have been waiting for.” When is it
going to happen? Amen.
© 2007,