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Matthew 5:38-42 · An Eye for an Eye
Going the Second Mile
Matthew 5:38-42
Sermon
by James Merritt
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Mark Twain once said this about the Bible: "I have no problem with those parts of the Bible I don't understand. It's those parts of the Bible I do understand that gives me fits." The passage that we are going to study certainly fits into that category.

This passage illustrates something I bet most of you have never thought about before. One of the easiest things in the world to do is to become a Christian. It is ridiculously easy. All you have to do is confess you are a sinner, repent of your sin, believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin and was raised from the dead, and surrender your life to Him as your Lord and Savior; and you become a Christian immediately and instantaneously. There is not an easier thing in the world than to become a Christian. But at the same time, one of the most difficult things in the world is to be a Christian, and you're going to see that illustrated this morning.

What Jesus says is totally antithetical to the typical attitude in America. Years ago there was a bumper sticker that became rather popular that simply said two words: "I Want." Now that tag would fit on just about every car in America. We live in the country of "I want." I want my rights; I want my happiness; I want my way; I want my money.

Rights are considered as American as apple pie. This is a country where citizens have rights. The best known part of the Constitution is the Bill of Rights.  I'm all for the right kind of rights, but today rights don't so much protect the innocent as they promote the guilty. If you're going to be a real Christian you're going to have to give up some rights.

Bill Walton learned that to play basketball for John Wooden you had to give up some rights. Coach Wooden had a rule against facial hair. If you played for him no facial hair was allowed. After a ten day break from school, Bill Walton came to practice wearing a beard. Coach Wooden walked up to him and said, "Bill, have you forgotten something?" Walton replied, "Coach, if you mean the beard, I think I should be allowed to wear it, it's my right."

Coach Wooden said, "Do you really believe in that?" He said, "Yes, I do, very much." Coach Wooden looked at him and said, "Bill, I have great respect for individuals who stand up for those things in which they believe. I really do. If you believe that is your right, I would die for your right to defend that right." Bill Walton said, "Thank you, Coach." Then Wooden said, "I just want you to know the team is really going to miss you."

We've all heard the expression, "Do your duty." Well, the Lord Jesus once again tells us something that no human would have ever thought of. He is going to tell us, "Do what is not your duty," and "Do more than your duty." That is going the second mile. What does this mean?

I. Be Willing To Get Worse Than You Deserve

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." (vv. 38-39) In the 1st Century a slap on the cheek was a way of insulting someone. A slap on the other cheek was yet another way of insulting someone. Today it would be like an insulting comment. We say today, "That was a backhanded compliment if I've ever heard one." This refers exactly to what Jesus was talking about.

You see, there were two things that would make any Jew mad 2,000 years ago; one would be a spit in his face, and the other would be to backhandedly slap him on the cheek. In fact, that is exactly what they did to the Lord Jesus. "Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands." (Mt. 26:67) Even a slave would rather be struck on his back by a whip than slapped on his cheek by his master.

When somebody slaps you, what is your natural impulse—it's to slap them back. Someone insults you, the first thought is to insult them back. Bill Cosby has interviewed thousands of children and received hilarious responses to his questions. He was talking to a little boy one time named Peter, and he said, "Do you try to do the things Jesus told you to do?" Peter said, "Jesus hadn't told me to do nothing."

Cosby said, "Well how about if somebody hits you on one cheek, turn the other cheek." Peter said, "What does that mean?"  Cosby said, "That means if somebody hits you, you don't hit him back." Peter looked at him confused and said, "That don't sound too smart."  Cosby said, "Well that's the whole point of what Jesus said, Peter. You have to be bigger than the other person." Peter thought for a moment and he said, "Well, that makes sense because if you're bigger then you should hit him back."

That's the way we think. But Jesus said, "If you are a Christian, as hard as it may be, you should turn the other cheek. Let me emphasize that Jesus was not dealing with Christian passivism. He was talking about personal revenge, not social justice. This has nothing to do, for example, with our war in Afghanistan. The Bible says in 1 Pet. 2:13-14, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good."  

What Jesus is talking about is retaliation, revenge, retribution. It's what Paul said in Rom. 12:19, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written ‘Vengeance is Mine. I will repay,' says the Lord." In other words, you never get even by trying to get even.

Let me give you a simple rule. Be quick to defend others, but be slow to defend yourself. Abraham Lincoln once said, "I never give an explanation of my actions to my critics." He said the reason is simple. "My friends don't need an explanation and my enemies wouldn't believe it."

Now that is wise advice, but having said that I think it is worth noting that Jesus suggested two cheeks, not dozens of them. He was not advocating we become a doormat to people who try to abuse us or walk all over us. Paul went on to say in that 12th chapter of Romans and verse 18, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Now sometimes that is not always possible.

I heard about a small man that walked into a restaurant, sat down to eat, and a big bully sitting on a barstool got up and walked over to that little man and chopped him across the neck; knocked him flat on the floor. As the man was getting up, the big man said, "That's karate from Japan."

Well, the smaller man rubbed his neck, sat back down and tried to eat his meal. A few minutes later the big man returned, picked the little man off the chair, threw him over his shoulder and said, "That's Judo from Japan."

Well, the little man walked out of the restaurant with the big man laughing at him. He returned fifteen minutes later, walked up behind him, cracked him over the head and said, "That's crowbar from Sears."

Sometimes self defense is not only warranted and necessary, but it's good for the other person. But forgiveness, and not revenge, should be our first response.

II. Be Willing to Give More Than You are Asked

"If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also." (v.40) Now the situation that Jesus describes was very common in Bible days. If one person took another person to court, and the person did not have the money to pay the judgment, the court could order payment of the lawsuit in clothing. You could take the man's tunic; you could take the man's shirt, but you could not take his coat.

Now the shirt was a type of tunic that was worn as an undergarment. The coat was an outer garment that served as a blanket at night. Most people in those days owned only one coat and perhaps one or two shirts.

But the reason the coat is mentioned specifically is that was the most valuable garment that people owned. Because it served both as a blanket and, in a sense, a shelter. As a matter of fact, the Mosaic Law required that the coat could not be kept. "If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious." (Ex. 22:26-27)

But Jesus goes beyond both the law of the land and the Mosaic Law. He said, "If you lose a lawsuit, but the judgment does not satisfy the plaintiff, and there are still bitter hard feelings, voluntarily give more than the judgment if it will make things right, and thereby you can settle things not only legally, but you can settle things morally.

In a situation like this when you give more than you are asked, you are showing that you regret any wrongdoing on your part; you are showing that you have no bitterness toward the other person, and you are showing that you want to make things right. There are times when you should not see how little you can give, but how much you can give.

I heard about a man that was going to celebrate his anniversary, and he went to his wife and asked her what she would like. She said she would like some perfume. So he went to a department store, headed straight for the perfume counter and told the saleswoman that he wanted to buy his wife a nice bottle of perfume for their anniversary.

Well, she pulled out a container of their best perfume and told him it was on sale for just $50. He said, "Well that's really more than I want to spend. What else do you have?" She pulled out a smaller bottle for $30. He said, "That's still too high. Give me your most economical brand of perfume." Well, she pulled out an extremely small bottle that cost just $15.  

He still wasn't satisfied with the price, so he said, "Look, lady, let me be very specific. Show me something that is real cheap." The clerk reached across the counter and handed him a mirror.

You see, a Christian should always be willing to give more than he's asked. Oh, it may cost you more in the short run, but it will gain you a lot more in the long run.

III. Be Willing to Go Farther Than You're Required

"And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two." (v.41) Remember that Israel was occupied territory. It was controlled by the Roman Empire. The Romans had a law that greatly embittered the Jewish people. By law a Roman soldier could compel a Jew to carry his weapons, or his knapsack, or any burden that he had, one mile. It didn't matter whether the Jewish person was working in his field or on his way to the synagogue to worship, the Roman soldier had the right to conscript this man and force him to carry his burden. Every Jewish boy had marked off one mile from his house and had memorized the exact distance. Whenever a Jewish boy or man was compelled to go that mile, he would walk that mile down to the very foot, put that burden down, and with a bitter look on his face make the point "not one foot more."  

Now the Pharisees had all of life boiled down to the minimum. They practiced what I call a "minimum morality." They boiled life down to just the minimum of what they had to do.

I heard about a mother who said to her little boy one time, "I want you to eat a little bit of spinach." The boy said, "How little can I get by with?" The Pharisees were always trying to figure out how little they could get by with.

I heard about a farmer who went to a used car lot to buy a car. The car salesman met him and the farmer said, "How much is that car?" The car salesman said, "Oh, that's a real bargain." The farmer said, "Well, how much?" He said, "Well, the basic car is $10,000." The farmer said, "Well, I'll take it." The used car salesman said, "It's actually more than that." He pulled out a sheet of paper and said,  "There are some add-ons because you have to pay extra for the air conditioning, the heater, the whitewall tires, the automatic transmission, etc." The farmer said, "Then why is it a bargain?" He said, "Because you do get a free tank of gas." Well, the farmer left.

Days later the car salesman came by the farmer's house and said, "I would like to buy a cow." The farmer said, "I've got a real bargain for you." He took him to a beautiful cow and said, "How do you like this one?" The used car salesman said, "How much?" He said, "Well, the cow is $400." The used car salesman said, "I'll take it!"

The farmer said, "Wait a minute. There are some add-ons." The used car salesman said, "Add-ons?" The farmer said, "Yes, for two-tone color—$100; extra large stomach $125; milk storage department $75; dispensing device—4 spigots at $10 each $40; genuine cowhide upholstery $125; automatic flyswatter $35; dual horns $50—total $950." The used car salesman said, "Well, why do you call it a bargain?" He said, "Because the udder components are free?"

Now that was exactly the way he Pharisees looked at life, and the way the typical person looks at life. They've got it all broken down in just how little they have to do to get by. But Jesus said, "Don't go just the first mile that you have to go, go the second mile that you don't have to go, because that's where the real blessing of life is found."

I was at a gas station a couple of weeks ago after picking my son up from school. I was filling my car up and a man got out of a big truck and walked over to me and said, "Do you know this area very well?" I said, "Pretty well." He said, "Can you tell me how to get to this street?" Well I didn't recognize the street, and my car happens to have one of those CPS systems in it, so I pulled up a map and found the street. As I began to try to tell this man how to get there, I realized it was going to be very difficult for him to find it because there were a lot of turns and a lot of lefts and a lot of rights, and it was just not going to be very easy to get there.

Now quite frankly, I was in a hurry. I needed to get home. I had a lot of things I needed to get done. But I could tell this man was going to have an extremely difficult time finding this place. My son, Joshua, said to me, "Dad, why don't you just drive there following your map and let him follow you?" I said, "Son, I don't have the time to do that." He said, "But, Dad, he won't find it unless we lead him."

Well the man said, "Mister, that's okay I'll just try to find it myself." But God spoke to my heart. I said, "Just follow me." So I was following my map and this man was following me. It took us about twenty minutes to get to the right place where he needed to go. As I was turning around to go back to my home, I rolled the window down and he said, "Mister, thank you for your time." I said, "Well let me ask you, in return for what I did, would you give me five minutes of your time?" He said, "Sure." I said, "Sir, do you know the Lord Jesus?" He teared up and said, "Are you a preacher?" I said, "Yes I am." He said, "Mister, I do know Jesus and I know that God brought you into my path because my daughter was murdered this past year and I just really need you to pray for me."

All of a sudden that second mile didn't seem very long to me at all. You will find that when you go that second mile, you will not only be a blessing, but you will be blessed.

IV. Be Willing To Grant All That Is Needed

"Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." (v.42) Now the implication here is that the person doing the asking has a real genuine need. If it is a real need, you should meet that need. Now that does not mean that you are required to respond to every foolish or every selfish request. For example: My son, Joshua, turns 16 this year. He asked me if I would buy him a BMW? I said, "Son, it would be most deleterious for your spiritual fortitude if I were to provide you with automated transportation that could be damaging to your health, welfare, and character." He looked at me and said, "I don't get it." I said, "That's exactly right."

You see, some giving hurts more than it helps. I remember being in New Orleans during the Southern Baptist Convention and I was on Bourbon Street witnessing. I walked by a man standing on the street corner, and went up to engage him in conversation. He said, "Mister, I haven't eaten in several days, would you give me some money?" I said, "No, but I tell you what I will do. I will give you a free meal; I will buy you some clothes; and I will tell you how to be saved." That man began a tirade on how I was a racist, and people like me didn't care about people like him, and why couldn't I just give him what he asked for.

You see, he didn't want help, he wanted a handout, and those are two different things. The Bible says in Ps. 112:5, "A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion." Yes, when someone comes to you and has a real need, and asks to borrow something, loan it to them. Even better yet, if you can, give it to them. But do it with discretion.

I want to tell you what you already know. It's not easy going the second mile. But let me tell you this. If you only go the first mile you're a victim. If you go the second mile you're a victor. The first mile is the lone mile; the second mile is the love mile. The first mile is the slave mile; the second mile is the smile mile.

The really successful people in life, and the really happy people in life, and the really blessed people in life are second milers. Going the second mile will make you a success. Clock watchers never ever climb very high. There is something more important than quitting time. There is something more important than getting every little second out of your lunch hour. There is something wonderfully Christian about someone who goes beyond and above what is asked for, or required, or expected, just as a habit of life.

You know we are in the Christmas season. Christmas is all about going the second mile. When Jesus left the hallways of glory to come to a dirty world, He went the second mile. When the King of Kings was born in a lowly stable, surrounded by smelly animals, He went the second mile. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, He went the second mile, and every day that He lets you live, if you're not a Christian, and gives you another opportunity to be saved, He is going the second mile.

This country we live in is a result of a man going the second mile. Shortly after the battles ended the American Revolution, but before the peace had been negotiated, George Washington was with his troops in Newburgh, New York. But they began to grow very restless because they hadn't been paid. Washington had begged the Continental Congress to do what they said they would do and pay the soldiers, but they refused.

Well, some of the officers began to organize a rebellion. They talked about marching on Philadelphia, which was at that time the seat of the reigning national government, and overthrowing that government and letting the army rule the nation.

With the fate of America in the balance, George Washington made a surprise appearance before these officers. After praising them for their service and thanking them for their sacrifice, he pulled from his pocket a copy of a speech that he wished to read. But then he fumbled with a paper and finally reached for a set of reading glasses—glasses those men had never seen him wear before. Washington made this simple statement: "I have already grown grey in the service of my country, and now I am going blind."

Historian, Richard Norton Smith, wrote: "Instantly rebellion melted into tears. It was a galvanizing moment, and the rebellion…" and the rebellion was put down because they had seen before them a second miler. Becoming a Christian is one thing; being a Christian is another one. Every chance you get for the glory of Jesus, for the goodness of others, and because of the grace of God, go the second mile.

ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by James Merritt