if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
3 sermons cite this verse
is first of all emptying yourself out of your own self life. Even God cannot fill that which is already full, so THE, UH, CHRIST-filled life is the self-emptied life. So many of us are so full of self. And as a wise man said, a man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package. I want you to think with me now on this principle, a principle of living, selfless living, joyful living, Christ-filled living, the principle of the second mile. And remember this, it's the second mile that brings the smile. I have three things I want to tell you about the second mile this morning, and I pray God the holy spirit will not only write them in your notes, but write them on your heart. Number one, the second mile is the mastery mile. Have you got that? It is the, the mastery mile. Now what do we MEAN IN VERSE 41 when Jesus said, if anyone will compel you to go with him a mile. Go with him two miles. What is he talking about? Well, in Jesus' day, the Romans had a practice. They learned this practice from the Persians about six centuries before that. When they would, uh, conquer a land, they would also subjugate that land and, uh, rule over it. And one of the things that they did to keep people in their place and to help them to understand, uh, just who they were and who was in charge was the principle of the Roman mile. And in this day, A …
That person will not be proud of his rich and fine clothes, who is sensible that he may be stripped by death to-morrow, and sent out of the world, as he came naked into it. He will not to-day be very proud of his personal beauty, who hath no dependence on escaping to-morrow that stroke of death which will mar all his beauty, and make that face which he now thinks so comely, appear ghastly and horrid; when instead of a ruddy and florid countenance, there will be the blood settled, cold and congealed, the flesh stiff and clayey, the teeth set, the eyes fixed and sunk into the head. Nor will he to-day very much affect to beautify and adorn with gaudy and flaunting apparel, that body concerning which he is sensible that it may be wrapped in a winding sheet to-morrow, to be carried to the grave, there to rot, and be covered and filled with worms. 3. When men envy others their worldly enjoyments, their wealth, their worldly ease, or their titles and high places—their sensual pleasures, or any of their worldly circumstances—it shows, that they set their hearts on the things of the world; and that they are not sensible that these things are not to be depended upon for another day. If they were, they would not think them worth their envy. They would appear so worthless in their eyes, that they would not care who had them, nor who went without them.—So when they contend about worldly possessions and enjoyments, (as almost all the contentions that are in the world are about these things,) it shows that they have dependence on to-morrow; otherwise they would not think the enjoyments of the world worth contending about. They would be very much of the temper recommended by Jesus Christ, Matt. v. 40. “He that will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.” …
11. Nay, rather, “rejoice and be exceeding glad,” when men persecute you for his sake; when they persecute you by reviling you, and by “saying all manner of evil against you falsely;” which they will not fail to mix with every kind of persecution: They must blacken you to excuse themselves: “For so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you!” — those who were most eminently holy in heart and life; yea, and all the righteous which ever have been from the beginning of the world. Rejoice, because by his mark also ye know unto whom ye belong. And, because great is your reward in heaven,” — the reward purchased by the blood of the covenant, and freely bestowed in proportion to your sufferings, as well as to your holiness of heart and life. Be exceeding glad;” knowing that “these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 12. Meantime, let no persecution turn you out of the way of lowliness and meekness, of love and beneficence. “Ye have heard” indeed “that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;” (Matt. 5:38; ) and your miserable teachers have hence allowed you to avenge yourselves, to return evil for evil: “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil:” — Not thus; not by returning it in kind. “But, rather than do this, “whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” …