Matthew 5:41 (NIV) If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

Back in the days when Jesus walked the earth, the Roman Empire controlled a big chunk of the world's population. The Romans, even though they were barbaric in many ways, were very big on obeying laws. One of those laws was that a Roman soldier could force a Roman citizen to carry his equipment for one mile any time that he wanted to. It was with this law in mind that Jesus uttered the words above, which are included in His famous Sermon on the Mount. I'm sure that the citizens of the Roman Empire were none too happy about having to carry some obnoxious soldier's equipment for an entire mile, and I can imagine how they would have felt if they had to carry it for two miles. So what was Jesus getting at?

It turns out that the second mile is where the supernatural happens. The second mile is where Jesus resides. If you read the gospels, Jesus' life was very inconvenient. He did nothing for himself and a lot for everyone else. His day was not His own as He spent each day either teaching, healing or casting out demons. He was on constant call for His disciples who were always needing Him for something or other. The second mile is where Jesus traveled and it is where we meet Him intimately and become more like Him. The first mile is just what you are required to do and there is no credit to be had there. That's just where everyone resides. Most people just do what they are required to do and nothing more. Even when people do favors for someone else, it is usually contingent on if it's convenient enough to do. For example, you may ask someone if they can give you a ride home from church and the usual response is, "Where do you live?" What the person is trying to find out is if you live on their way home. If you don't, they will usually tell you, "I'm so sorry, but I am not going that way." The second mile would be taking a person who lives in the total opposite direction of where you live and quite a distance away. Jesus was constantly calling this out. He even called the people out for just "loving those who love you." He said even sinners do that. He was shooting for a much higher standard, challenging the people to love even their enemies.

The second mile is extremely inconvenient, but it is where you truly die to yourself and where you find the life that is truly life. The second mile is Jesus territory and if you want to walk with Jesus, that is where you will have to travel. But don't fret about it. The hardest part about the second mile is starting it. Once you dare trust God and begin your journey on that sacred mile, the Holy Spirit will rush in to empower you to walk it. As you are walking it, you will realize that this is where the supernatural power of God flows in your life and you will find life in doing what your flesh would never want to do. Trust God to meet you on the second mile. He lives there and He wants you to live there with Him so that you can experience the wellness of your soul.

Pastor Joey Vazquez