____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ March 10, 1991 ____________________________________________________ Distinguishing Characteristics of the Christian and Going the "Extra Mile" (Matthew 5:39-42) by Tom Edwards When brethren begin asking, ``Must I do this?'' or ``Do I have to do that?'' in their service to the Lord, it seems that they are only concerned with doing as little as possible for God. The one, however, who believes in giving his very best for Jesus, and going beyond the bare necessities of Christian existence, has been said to have a ``second-mile religion.'' Should we not each strive to be this way? -- to not be satisfied with merely getting by, but to want to do our very best in bringing glory to God? The Lord instructs His people to live a life that requires sacrifice and a willingness to live subjectively and humbly. Today let us consider some of these principles for daily conduct that Jesus introduces in Matthew 5:39-42. Matthew 5:39 states: ``But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.'' William Barclay made an interesting observation concerning this verse. He points out that if a right-handed man were to strike a person in front of him on the right cheek, he would most likely have to do this with the back of his hand. He continues by showing that for one to do so, according to the Jewish Rabbinic law, it would actually be twice as insulting as for someone to strike with the other side of the hand. He, therefore, concludes by posing the following remark: ``So, then, what Jesus is saying is this: `Even if a man should direct at you the most deadly and calculated insult, you must on no account retaliate, and you must on no account resent it.''' In the light of this concept, the principle is stressed that the Christian is to learn to overcome caustic slurs, unjust reproach, and hurtful criticisms without even the desire to revenge oneself. As we see exemplified in Jesus Himself, when He was ``reviled,'' He ``did not revile in return'' (1 Pet. 2:23). Christ was not given to retaliation, and He taught His people to ''...love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you'' (Matt. 5:44). There were some situations in which the honor of Christ and the salvation of men demanded that the ``turning of the other cheek'' was to be carried out literally. Many of the early Christians demonstrated this in a manner far more than by merely turning the other cheek: they gave up their very lives for the cause of the Lord by surrendering willingly to their enemies and not denouncing their faith by denying the Lord who bought them with His own blood. Concerning Stephen in Acts 7:60, the Scripture records: ``And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, `Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' And having said this, he fell asleep.'' At the time of this incident, Stephen was being cruelly stoned to death for preaching the gospel. Though he was an innocent servant of the Lord who was being unjustly treated, he did not pick up any of the rocks thrown at him in order to hurl them back at his heartless executioners. He was willing instead to die for his Savior and Lord. Surely, if someone comes to your home and is seeking to destroy your family, however, you would rise to the occasion by defending them, for this would be a different situation. The Lord's commands must also be viewed in the proper context and in the light of other related passages. Take for an example, the instruction to ``Give to him that asketh thee'' (Mat. 5:42). Are there no other factors to be considered prior to the fulfilling of this? In other words, are we simply to give to whomever might be asking of us? Christ would not give to the people who sought Him at Capernaum because they were seeking Him for the wrong reason. They had been satisfied with the loaves that He had provided for them, and now it appears they wanted Him merely for this purpose again -- a free meal ticket (Jn. 6:26,27). The apostle Paul would not have us give to the idle (2 Thes. 3:10). His instruction in this passage is ''...if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.'' Paul is not making reference to the person who is out of a job per se, but rather to the individual who is able-bodied, but unwilling to work. It's a shame that our Welfare system is being wrongly used by so many people who are just too lazy to earn their keep. Not too long ago I saw a man on the side of the road holding up a sign that said ``Work for Money.'' I was impressed. Apparently, here was an individual who just didn't want a handout, but was willing to work for his meals. A couple hours later, I noticed the man was still there. Going over to him, I told him that I had a little job for him to do: there were some leaves around my house that needed to be raked. He first seemed surprised that I offered him this assignment. Then he told me he wouldn't be able to because his wife was across the street waiting in their car at the Midtown Plaza parking lot. This response seemed a little strange in view of his sign. Eventually, though, he walked the 100 yards to my house. I handed him a rake, some trash bags, and told him that he could either rake the small north side of the yard or do the whole yard for even more money, if he wanted to. After several minutes, I left my office in order to go out to check on him. There was the rake leaning up against the house and the trash bags yet unfilled, but no sign of the fellow ``willing to work.'' The next day I saw him somewhere else around town with his little sign: ``Work for Food.'' Well, I guess we can say he's at least keeping up with much of the advertising world. Before we give to the one asking, however, there are some things we must take into consideration. Surely, you would not want to contribute towards something that would be sinful or an abuse of how money should be used. A fellow stopped by one day saying he was hungry and needed some money for food. Instead of giving him the money, I went up into the kitchen and put together a bag of groceries for him. Before I could even hand the bag to him, however, he said he didn't want that. The reason being: he claimed a few pounds would be too heavy for him to carry. If I were hungry, in need of food, and couldn't carry five or six pounds, I think I probably would have sat right down there on the spot and started eating what was given me. Let us be careful in how we use our money. In many causes, we would actually be doing wrong by contributing towards them. The Christian must always use wisdom. Another interesting passage is Matthew 5:40. Here Christ exhorts: ``And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt (coat, KJV), let him have your coat (cloak, KJV) also.'' The King James Version speaks of the ``coat'' and the ``cloak,'' but I think we can better understand this in the terms that the New American Standard Version uses: ``shirt'' and ``coat.'' The ``shirt'' (or tunic) was a long inner garment of cotton or linen. Even the poorest Jew would have more than one. The ``coat'' (or cloak), however, was the heavier blanket-like garment which was worn as a robe by day and used as a blanket at night. Generally, the Jew would only possess one of these; therefore, the Law of Moses had prohibited the keeping of it as a surety (or security) over night: ``If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious'' (Exod. 22:26,27). By right, a man's coat (or cloak) could not be permanently taken away from him. Jesus is, therefore, teaching the principle that the Christian should be willing to forgo some of his rights and not always be so bent on having his own way -- though entitled to it by common law. Some people have undoubtedly gone to extremes by insisting on what they felt should naturally be coming to them, but this is not always to be the way of the child of God. In matters of taking a fellow Christian to court, Paul exhorts in 1 Corinthians 6:7, ''...it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?'' Why not be willing to forgo your rights, Paul is showing, even if it means a sacrifice on your part? Mansel interprets the Lord's instruction about the giving of one's coat to mean, ``Be ready to give up even that which by law can not be taken.'' Notice a similar statement by Jesus in Matthew 5:41: ``And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two.'' The phrase ``shall force'' or ``shall compel'' (KJV) is from a word of Persian origin that at one time referred to the ``Persian postal courier.'' Post offices were then unknown. King Cyrus had stationed horsemen at proper intervals along all the main highways, in order that royal commands could be swiftly sent to various parts of the empire. These messengers were permitted to ``force'' any person, or any thing into service that might expedite the task. Thus, they could not only use whomever they called on, but also horses, boats, ships, or any other vehicle that belonged to another. Commenting on this, the Pulpit Commentary adds, ''...while the classical usage strictly refers to the Persian system of mounted couriers...the post-classical usage refers to the later development of a transport of military baggage. It thus indicates, not merely forced attendance, but forced carrying.'' The New Testament provides us with an example of this. In Matthew 27:32, Simon the Cyrenian was forced into service by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross of Jesus when the Lord had become too physically weak to carry it for Himself. It has been said that ``The exercise of this power by the Romans was exceedingly distasteful to Jews, and this circumstance gave a special pertinency to the Savior's mention of it'' (McGarvey/Pendleton). William Barclay writes: ``Sometimes the occupying power exercised this right of compulsion in the most tyrannical and unsympathetic way. Always this threat of compulsion hung over the citizens. Palestine was an occupied country. At any moment a Jew might feel the touch of the flat of a Roman spear on his shoulder, and know that he was compelled to serve the Romans.'' Again we see in this instruction that Jesus is teaching the faithful follower to be willing to go beyond that which is required of him -- go the ``second mile.'' The reason for this being, that the service rendered on the first mile, which is demanded of this one, might be done so only reluctantly, but to volunteer in going the second, will manifest a willingness to serve from the heart -- not resentfully, but in full submission. The Jew needed to allow his love for God and desire to serve Him to override his dislike toward the domineering Romans. Only then would he be able to serve in the right frame of mind. Similarly, we can consider the servant's relation to his master as seen in Colossians 3:22-24. Here Paul exhorts the slaves to serve their masters not by way of being a man-pleaser, but in order to please God. Their work was to be done unto the Lord -- a principle that holds true for any other job as well. Whether we're a factory worker, a computer salesperson, a mechanic, or a doctor, etc., it should be our desire to do our work unto God and strive to please Him by doing our best. Going the ``extra mile'' is simply a manifestation of an outpouring of love from one whose life has become inundated by the power of the gospel and the goodness of God. As John writes, ``We love Him because He first loved us'' (1 John 4:19). Won't you allow the love of God to impel you for that ``extra mile''? Paul testifies towards the power of God's love by saying the following in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: ``For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.'' ___________________________________________ "...if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself" (Luke 9:23-25). ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________