Did You Know?

What did Jesus mean when he said to go the second mile?

*  In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus recommended:"If someone under authority impresses you into service for a  mile, go with him two miles."  (Matthew 5:41) Jesus' listeners likely recognized that statement as a reference to the compulsory service, which an authority could demand  from citizens.  In the first century C.E., Israel was occupied by the Romans.  They did not hesitate to press men or animals into service or to commandeer anythings else they considered necessary in order to expedite official business.  For one example, Roman soldiers obliged Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus' torture stake to the site of the execution.  (Matthew 27:32)  Such impositions were oppressive, highly unpopular, and bitterly resented by the Jews.

Just how far citizens could be compelled to carry a load in unknown.  It is hard to imagine, though,, that they would have been willing to go any farther than strictly required.  So when Jesus urged his listeners to go the second mile, so to speak, he was telling them to perform without resentment those services that authorities legitimately  demanded. -Mark 12:17.

Next time: Who was Annas mentioned in the Gospel accounts?

The Watchtower, 2012