Scripture Passage
But
I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5 v 44a
Reflection
I
can safely assume that the majority of the people involved with PEER Servants hold justice as a matter close to their hearts. At its core,
the organization is fundamentally about righting the wrongs
perpetrated against the materially poor in the world. So Jesus’
exhortation to go two miles with anyone who forces you to go one mile
is, at first glance, an act of condoning injustice. Does Jesus
condone injustice? To be sure, the Bible says Jesus is the champion
of the oppressed. Just at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount he
starts with words of encouragement for the oppressed; “blessed are
those who mourn, for they will be comforted” Matthew 5 v 4, and
“blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for
theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” Matthew 5 v 10. So, what’s going
on in the last few verses of this passage?
My own journey of faith has taught me over and over that it’s not about me. God loves and cares for me, true, but ultimately it’s not about me. Many heroes of the faith never lived to see the fruit of the walk of faith. Hebrews 11, aptly titled “Faith in Action” in the NIV, recounts the great acts of faith by biblical heroes. The passage concludes in verse 39 and 40 by saying, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect”. I believe in the same way God is calling us to walk the extra mile by faith. God works in the lives of those he loves, transforming them more and more into Christlikeness. But God also works through those he loves to call and transform the world into Christlikeness.
I don’t know what your circumstances are, or who is forcing you to go one mile. But Jesus says go with them two miles. Yes, it’s unjust. He knows that, and he promises comfort and the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward. He asks you to go two miles because he loves you and is transforming you. But also, he is working through you to call your oppressor to him, and transform them too. He’s calling us to love our oppressors, and pray for them. We cannot do this out of our own strength; Hebrews 11 reminds us that the Biblical heroes did it by faith.
Question to Consider
My own journey of faith has taught me over and over that it’s not about me. God loves and cares for me, true, but ultimately it’s not about me. Many heroes of the faith never lived to see the fruit of the walk of faith. Hebrews 11, aptly titled “Faith in Action” in the NIV, recounts the great acts of faith by biblical heroes. The passage concludes in verse 39 and 40 by saying, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect”. I believe in the same way God is calling us to walk the extra mile by faith. God works in the lives of those he loves, transforming them more and more into Christlikeness. But God also works through those he loves to call and transform the world into Christlikeness.
I don’t know what your circumstances are, or who is forcing you to go one mile. But Jesus says go with them two miles. Yes, it’s unjust. He knows that, and he promises comfort and the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward. He asks you to go two miles because he loves you and is transforming you. But also, he is working through you to call your oppressor to him, and transform them too. He’s calling us to love our oppressors, and pray for them. We cannot do this out of our own strength; Hebrews 11 reminds us that the Biblical heroes did it by faith.
Question to Consider
Are
you willing to walk the extra mile of persecution in order to let God
work in you and your oppressors?
Action Step for the Week
Pray
for your oppressor every day this week. Seek God’s counsel about
how you can be praying for them. Surrender your unjust situation to
God; if he so wishes, vengeance is His, Romans 12 v 19. Ask God to
work in you, to make you more Christlike, and ask God to work through
you, to reach the world for His glory.
