Second Mile

I appreciated some of Brian McLaren’s comments on Jesus' statement, "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matthew 5:41)The context was that a Roman soldier (the occupation force in Palestine) could at any time order a Jew to carry his pack up to one mile. The Jews hated being in subjugation, but Jesus' point was that "by willingly taking the pack the second mile, you walk free - transcending your oppression." (to use McLaren's words.)


Although we are not living under subjugation by occupation forces, we daily have the opportunity to apply this principle at home, in the workplace, and in the community. How many times have we felt imposed upon by someone in our own household expecting us to do some chore. Yet the same task done willingly, for example at someone else’s house, might seem like fun. What drudgery in the workplace when the goal is to just be there until quitting time. Sadly, organized labour has done harm to its constituents by even enforcing the practice of doing only the minimum required by the terms of the contract. But by doing more than is required, we have a sense of freedom, that we are doing this because we choose to, or even enjoy it. By doing only the minimum required, we always feel imposed upon and taken advantage of. When we grasp every penny, we feel we never have enough money; when we only work for self we never have enough time. By giving money away, we feel rich, by giving our time to someone else we feel that we have extra time; by doing more than is required, we become free. -philw