The Kingdom Movement

A Literary & Pastoral Study Guide to the Gospel of Matthew

The Inspiration of Matthew,

by Caravaggio

On the King's Errand

Devotional Reflections on Matthew's Gospel

Heart Transformation for Love, Part Four – Befriend Your Adversary:  Mt.5:41

^5:41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

          ‘Go the extra mile’ is a saying in English.  What does it mean exactly?  It comes from Jesus, as he unfolded his radical movement transforming the human heart.  Jesus was speaking to Jewish people who lived in occupied territory.  The Roman Empire compelled by law and oppression a Jew to help a Roman soldier to carry his pack for one mile.  That wasn’t an easy task.  The pack weighed between 65 – 85 pounds.  Needless to say, it would have infuriated most Jews.  Imagine a hostile police officer yanking you out of class, from your work, from your lunch, or from the library.  Imagine him pointing to a really heavy backpack, which you have to carry.  Now imagine that you had to walk a mile somewhere you weren’t planning to, with him, a terrible conversationalist with a superiority complex.  Then after you’re done, you have to walk a mile back to where you were just to resume what you were doing, but with way more sweat and a fresh reminder that you were an oppressed people.  How totally annoying!  This was a drain of time, energy, and emotion.  

Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Go another mile with him.’  What?!?  Why? 

Jesus is calling for his people’s emotions, time, and energy.  That’s radical.

Jesus is breaking us free from our need to have other people respect us, personally or politically.  Because of Jesus’ love for us, we are free from needing the respect of others.  We can freely choose to serve someone even when we’re not required to do so.

          Jesus is also calling for us to turn the tables on people who make us do things for them.  Now, there wasn’t an ethical problem per se with walking with the soldier and carrying his pack.  If someone else is trying to coerce you into doing something against Jesus’ own character and teaching – like tell a lie, have sexual relations, backstab someone else, etc. – then Jesus would have us say no, absolutely.  Again, notice that there are in fact Jesus-centered ways of resisting an evil person.  But in this type of situation, which doesn’t violate any teaching of Jesus but does involve our time, energy, and emotions, Jesus calls us to turn the tables.  Take that time, he implies, to befriend your adversary and tell him about your faith.  Destroy your enemy…by making him your friend.

          What does that look like?  My friend C was riding the subway in Boston when a teenage young man in the train started acting out.  This young man started insulting a young woman, for ‘dressing like a ho’ and so on.  It got to the point where C said, ‘Hey, I think you’ve said enough.’  At that point, the guy lit into C with insults.  C started to shout the guy down, but could see that the situation was escalating.  He turned the tables quickly and said, ‘Look, let me tell you about Jesus.  You heard of him?  You need him in your life.  He is good.  He defeated sin, which is what you need help with.  I am going to pray for you…’  And so on.  The young man eventually threw up his hands in disgust and got off the train at a stop. 

          How might that look for us?  Maybe when you’re stuck with that abrasive person in a group project or a leadership team, instead of just rushing off whenever your meetings are done, you spend a little extra time getting to know that person?  Maybe when parties happen in your dorm, instead of completely avoiding it, or succumbing to it (see Ephesians 5:18), you have integrity and sobriety, and enjoy people and care about them and even help clean up?  What does it mean to not just do the minimum required, but a little above and beyond?  What does it mean to ‘go the extra mile’ to care for someone?  Opportunities for spiritual conversation might result.  Lord, may it be so.