The joy of the second mile

The Christ that brought forward Jesus' life and his teachings impels us today when we turn unreservedly to God for guidance. The Master's teachings are invaluable not only in helping us find the Christ way but also in explaining why we sometimes may feel impelled in a certain way that might seem illogical to uninspired human reasoning.

One time when something was demanded of me, I found myself giving not only what was demanded but much in addition. Later, as I thought about it, I wondered why. There was no doubt about the action. I had been praying, and what I did had burst spontaneously out of those prayers.

Now as I tried to understand the situation and the peace I felt, I turned to the Sermon on the Mount. When I came to these verses, I not only understood my actions on this occasion but found opening before me a vision of a much more fulfilling way of living. "If any man will sue thee at the law," Jesus taught, "and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." Matt. 5:40, 41.

This was a higher motivation, a higher expression of selfless love—more encompassing, more demanding, more scientific—than anything I had known before. I realized with joy that Christly impulsion takes us beyond human expectations and limits. It lends a magnanimity to human action that is indeed satisfying. "He who is afraid of being too generous has lost the power of being magnanimous," Miscellany, p. 165. Mrs. Eddy writes in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany.

In the situation mentioned, my actions reknitted a relationship that was badly frayed. And I learned that the second mile Christ Jesus asked of his followers was not to be taken grudgingly, or in martyrdom. It is a journey into a higher reality of being and can be taken with joy.

Luke's record of this particular teaching is slightly different from Matthew's and provides for me a symbol that has meaning. In Matthew the coat is taken away, and then the cloak, or outer garment, is given. In Luke the garments are reversed. As the Revised Standard Version states it, "From him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt." Luke 6:29. The peeling off of the garments, layer by layer, may be likened to some of the little self-interests we shed when put to love's test. Shedding them, we come closer to the real man—the Christ—and we can begin to comprehend our Master's saying, "I am among you as he that serveth." Luke 22:27.

It takes humility, when much already is demanded of one, to give more. But when we are dwelling in the state of thought that is genuinely willing to go the second mile, the journey no longer involves forced labor. One becomes the kind of servant to mankind that Christ Jesus illustrated when he washed his disciples' feet at his last supper with them. Not servile, this kind of service is indication of Christliness.

Pride, in its fear, holds back and misses opportunities to serve. Obedience to a constituted authority does not indicate a servile mentality. A mature expression of the Christ involves serving, and serving intelligently, where and how one is asked to serve. In organizational work, for example, working harmoniously with boards and committee chairpersons doesn't indicate that one cannot think for himself. Thoughtful cooperation does show a maturity that enables one to serve in any capacity without feeling his identity is threatened.

The Science that brought forth the Master's instruction to give more than is expected, or even demanded, is the Science of divine Love. It includes the answer to Peter's question, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" If Peter was expecting an answer that would allow limited forgiveness, he was disappointed. "Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Matt. 18:21, 22. There is no limit on forgiveness. Why? Because in the Science of Love, there is nothing unlike Love. The divine Principle, Love, is All.

If we should refuse to render the service that is of Love, we have not really saved ourselves inconvenience; we have slowed our journey Spiritward. If we have withheld forgiveness, we have deprived ourselves of an opportunity of salvation.

Selfless acts are given—as all true action is taken—at the impulsion of Christ. A forgiveness that allows continual repetition of error has not the Christ Science supporting it. And neither do second-mile experiences that allow another to indulge self-will and laziness. Recognizing the difference between Christly impulsion and mere human expediency is not always easy. Perhaps it is Christly joy that best tells us our sacrifice is right. Our footsteps are light the second mile; our hearts warmed as we shed our coats and cloaks. We reflect a divine Love that outdistances and outmeasures human suffering.

"Whatever purifies, sanctifies, and consecrates human life, is not an enemy," Mrs. Eddy writes, "however much we suffer in the process." Miscellaneous Writings, p. 8. And this may help us sort out second-mile experiences from ones of imposition. Does the action make our love more pure, less self-serving, more God-serving, blessing others at His command? Is the action set apart from retribution and worldly concerns? Is it without resentment and self-pity?

We need not fear those extra demands made on our love. As we turn to the source of love—to divine Love—we can go farther than we may have expected. Sometimes our extra mile may involve going along with another who still is in a quite unredeemed state. We can go this mile also with joy.

The Christ way is never one of willful coercion, nor is it niggardly. When we really strive to be guided by God, we often find the direction outside the realm of mere reasonableness. We may need to give of ourselves in a measure we might have thought impossible. But we find a grandness, a nobility, that promises a life apart from meanness and pettiness, reflecting the kingdom of heaven that reigns within the man of God's creating. Our Master's teachings—sometimes not understood until we're ready for them— confirm our decisions when we're on the right track, as surely as they direct and redirect us into paths that reach beyond expected limitations. The second mile we travel with joy may be the first mile of another's redemption.

BEULAH M. ROEGGE

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Breaking out of the shell
August 16, 1982
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