“Go the extra mile.” This is something Jesus asked his disciples, and you and I, to do. But what did this mean in the Bible days? Did you know that “Cyrus the Great” came up with the idea of “mail delivery?” He would give the mail to “carriers,” but in turn, they could make anyone carry the load for a mile and no more. Later, the Jews were compelled to carry the heavy gear of the Roman soldiers for a mile. That meant that the Jews would have to drop whatever personal load they had and pick up the soldiers’ load. Then, they had a mile to get back to where they started! The loads were often heavy… 60 to 70 lbs. They hated doing this.

In Matthew 5:41, Jesus said, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” We are still “servants” of the Lord in our daily work, in helping our neighbor, in bringing kindness to our enemy, or in giving. We are compelled to “go the extra mile.” Would you do this, if Jesus asked you? If so, a blessing is just ahead. Sherry