And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same?
3 sermons cite this verse
… Don't resist an evildoer. Don't refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Be perfect. as your heavenly Father is perfect. Any questions? He didn't take questions. And fortunately, he didn't give tests either, because if each of those mandates had been weighted at 20 points each, what's lower than an F? You know, my score is a zero. If he just said try before each one of them, I'd score higher. But the truth is, I don't even want to want to do a couple of these things unless the perps are dead. I'm confessing so you don't have to, but if you've got 100 on that quiz, I want to meet you so I can buy your lunch, right? This part of Jesus' sermon is so hard, even for the best of us, even in the best of times, that one of my sources said it makes functional atheists of us all. Especially now, I think, at this point in the life of our nation, with calls from all sides to fight, to stand up for what's right and be counted or admit you're a pathetic, don't care about anybody but yourself, drop out from the battle for the soul of America. …
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 …
It is a shame to professors of godliness that their light shines no brighter before men, that there is no more appearing in them of an amiable Christian spirit, that they do not seem to shine any brighter in their outward conversation than many other men that do not make the profession that they do. Many such men seem to be as exact, and as careful to avoid sin, and to deny themselves, as they; yea, many, perhaps, that, for the outward practice of some particular virtues, shine brighter than they, are more liberal and kind, more courteous and obliging in their behaviour. It is expected of those that are of this peculiar people that they should do more than others. Matt. v. 46, 47. “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?” let me then apply this subject immediately to those who are present. …