The 2nd Mile

The title of today’s sermon came from an award that Ron Luna’s grand-daughter won at her Church. Ron showed me a video of her receiving the award. She was taking what she learned on Sunday morning and Wednesday night and started a bible study with friends from school. The name of the award she received was the 2nd Mile Award.

I thought wow thats really cool.

Thats not the right context for the verse.

The context of the verse is, yes, about service, but it is about service in the face of adversity. It is found in the Jesus’ sermon on the mount in Chapter 5 of Matthew.

Stand while reading

Matthew

Matthew 5:38–48 NASB95

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Since God chose the Hebrew people as His people from whom he would reveal Himself to the world, he has urged them to stand out from the crowd.

Look at the dietary laws. Prohibition on tattoos, How they were to dress, how they were to act. It was all so that they would stand apart from the world because it was from the Hebrews that God would introduce Jesus.

As followers of Christ, He has asked us to stand apart from the world so that people could know Jesus.

Romans 12:2 NASB95

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

So how to we stand out from our community. How do we stand in contrast to the Motorcycle community so that people may see and get to know Jesus?

Not: Generosity. You will be hard pressed to out give a bunch of bikers. Friday night LW clubhouse.

Not Brotherly Love: That is the cornerstone of the biker community.

I believe that answer is found in the verses that we just read.

An eye for an eye

Deuteronomy 19:18–21 NASB95

18 “The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. 20 “The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. 21 “Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Turn the other cheek

The idea of an insult. Open hand across the face.

Jesus is not talking about getting beaten, but rather public insult.

How different is that from today’s standards where a facebook slap in the face draws all the attention in the world.

Give up your tunic also

People in that time would wear a loincloth, a tunic and then a cloak. You could sue a man for his tunic but not his cloak.

I read a story about a guy giving out candy on Halloween. Older kids with no costumes kept coming to his house. Told his wife that he wasn’t putting up with it any longer. Call the police. Red faced and breathing hard, She said, “George, its only candy.”

We get consumed sometimes with what “our rights” are that we lose sight that He is the source of all that we have and we either trust him or we don’t, because everything good on this side of heaven is only candy.

Go the extra mile

We don’t get pressed into service like was done in Jesus’ time, but sometimes we are asked to do things that we don’t want to.

Jordon’s dog, Martye cleaning his house.

Love you enemy?

Leviticus 19:18 NASB95

18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

There is not a verse that says to hat your enemy.

Psalm 139:21–22 NASB95

21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.

Matthew 5:44 NASB95

44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:4

So That

Matthew 5:45 NASB95

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:

Family tradition: God has not chosen to cover them with darkness or deprive them of the rain, why should we?

Every MC loves their own brothers.

Every biker greets other bikers.

We are to be people of uncommon grace and mercy.

Romans 12:21 NASB95

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 5:48 NASB95

48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5: