In Jesus time, it was common for a person of authority or power to command another to do just that. In many cases it would be a Roman soldier. A soldier was right to demand you walk a mile with him and even help carry his burden or armor. Jesus tells them to not only do what is rightly expected of them but to go an extra mile. Remember, He asks this of those who were forced to make that walk and often times by the enemy or one they had no regard for. As followers of Jesus, we cannot ignore that teaching. We can exhibit the heart of Christ by our actions. If a neighbor you cannot stand asks for help and you help him more than he asked for, is not the Lord glorified in your actions?
Here is what I am getting at. If Jesus teaches to go the extra mile for an enemy, what might we think is His heart regarding those we care about and those we love? Jesus and the Scriptures tell us in many ways about loving one another but how do we express it. We express our love for one another in many ways but what about ways that are not so fun or in ways that don't glorify us. Giving a great gift is a way of expressing our love but in return we get thanked and thanked. Many times, the receiver of our gift tells everyone they know how great we are, which is a reward of sorts.
Here is the question. Does our love have limits? If one we love needs us to walk a mile with them, do we give only that one mile? If one we care about has appointments and asks us to watch their children or pets are we willing to watch them twice as long as they ask telling them not to rush? Ia there someone we care about who we have not seen in a long time but lives "too" far away to make the trip? Is there a person we care about who we should call but we are holding back because we called them last? Is there a holiday that requires a gift but last year you gave one and they didn't and we won't let that happen again - or do we give them a gift again? Do we say I love you even if we never hear it back? Do we get up day after day and make a pot of coffee so that it is ready when our loved one gets up even though we never get to sleep in and have it done for us?
Is our love compelling? Compelling means having a powerful and irresistible effect. Does our love have a powerful and irresistible effect on our actions and behaviors. Does our love compel us to go the extra mile, to sit the extra hour and talk, to give but yet another gift? Does our love compel us to do all these things just because we love them and cannot resist expressing it?
In the scriptures Jesus is talking about going the extra mile when everyone recalls the teaching of an eye for an eye. If we stop expressing our love for each other because we didn't get some of the same in return, we are living the very way that Jesus was teaching against. We are living the old eye for an eye approach.
Might we consider expressing our love in many ways because our love is compelling. Just show our love because we have love to show. Make that pot of coffee with warmth in your heart and a smile because it feels good to show another person how much they mean to you. Go ahead and give that gift just because you care for them not because you got one in return last time. Go ahead and edge your crabby neighbor's sidewalk when you do yours because you are filled with love and you just can't hold it in. Take another person's cart back, help load a car, hold open a door. We are loved by our Creator and are filled by that love, how can we keep it in?
Just what is the measure of our love? How much do we love the person who lives far away? Do we love them enough to drive 30 miles, 60 miles or 120 miles? Is 200 miles just to far to visit and be with them because we love them? How many pots of early morning coffee are we willing to make? Is it 60? 80? or 100? Does the length of our love end at 300 pots? How many times are we willing to give someone a call without getting one back? 50? 100? 2000? Does our willingness to call them because we love them and want to talk end at 2500 calls? How many miles, pots of coffee, or phone calls do we love those we care about?
Jesus gave us an example of what we are to do regarding an enemy. Might we think that He felt the extra effort with those we love was a given? What was Christ's example of limits on His love? How was He willing to express it? Did our Lord tell the Father that He was willing to suffer just enough to cover 300,000 people? 1.5 million people? 3 million people? Was He up to taking the beatings for only 5 million people? His example was that He loved "EVERYONE" enough to take each and every person's beating for them and then He went "the extra mile" for each and every one and died for us ALL. That is an example that is impossible to follow but one worth trying to honor.
We have a friend down south that sends cards all the time. This lady makes us feel so loved and important to her. We are not the best at sending cards yet she continues to express her love for us regardless of our returning the kindness. She is a blessing and a wonderful lady. She does it because she loves us, not because she gets anything back. In fact, I need to go get her a card today for no other reason than that we love her. I guess I just spoke to myself today!
Can we let our love loose to go the extra distance in the lives of those we love and even strangers and even those who are unkind to us? Can we let a person out in traffic? Can we hold the door for the person behind us or even the next five people? Can we let the love that is inside us COMPEL us to love those around us? Remember, "we love because He first loved us."
Today, let's let our love loose and see what amazing things we are capable of. Today, let's go the extra mile for those we love and even those we don't care much for.
Today, let's love that somebody far away, let's love that one who never calls, let's love that one who never sends a birthday card. Let's love somebody. Everybody.