Go with him twain

Go with him twain

Matthew 5:41  "...and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain".

Caesar had instated a law that the Roman government could press any Jewish person into carrying a load for up to a mile.  So, if they (Romans) were lucky, they could go mile-to-mile 'enlisting' person after person to bear their load.   I can only imagine how this would make someone feel.  The Jews weren't just waiting around to serve the Romans... their lives didn't revolve around them.  They had lives, work, things to do, places to be.  And the Romans could at any time force them to walk an entire mile in any direction.  Imagine how incredibly inconvenient that would be, especially if you were in the middle of doing something or going somewhere.  Of course inconvenience was probably laced with feelings of anger, frustration, and being degraded and devalued. 

And then Jesus lays this down, that if anyone compels you to go a mile, go with him two.  I don't think we have to think hard to realize that two miles is more inconvenient than one.  It takes you further away from where your life and your interests are, and takes you away for a longer period of time.   So, from this we can take with us a simple command:  choose compassion over convenience.  Bear the load of others, and go with them further than what's required or expected.  Allow yourself to venture further away from your own self interests for the sake of another. 

Sounds simple, but maybe not so easy.