As we read and study the 49 scriptures that are Jesus’s commandments, let’s ask God to help us observe these words, apply them, and faithfully follow them throughout our lifetimes. The command we will focus on today is “Go the Second Mile.”
VERSES OF THE DAY
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t fight back against someone who wants to do harm to you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too. If anyone wants to sue you in court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. If a soldier forces you to walk with him one mile, go with him two. Give to anyone who asks you for something. Don’t refuse to give to anyone who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 5:38-42 ERV
LESSON OF THE DAY
Jesus commands us to go the second mile. This command has a cool backstory. The “one mile” rule was a Roman law that let soldiers force civilians to carry their gear for a mile, and everybody hated it. So when Jesus says to go two miles, He’s taking the most humiliating, oppressive thing possible and telling you to flip it into a choice. The first mile is forced; the second mile is yours, and that’s where your witness lives.
And the “eye for an eye” part? People read it as a command for revenge, but it was actually a limit on revenge, saying the punishment can’t exceed the crime. Jesus takes that and says, “Don’t even go there. Don’t resist evil; respond with generosity instead.” It’s the same heart theme: your response reveals what’s inside you.
The slap on the cheek part is just as loaded. In that culture, a backhand slap to the right cheek was the ultimate insult, a way to demean someone publicly. Turning the other cheek is saying you won’t let shame dictate your reaction; you stay dignified and in control. The shirt and coat bit is about lawsuits, where someone could sue to take your shirt. Your cloak could also serve as your blanket. So Jesus is saying, “Don’t fight over stuff. Let your generosity outshine their greed.”
All four examples—the slap, the lawsuit, the forced mile, and the borrower—are the same lesson wearing different clothes. Your worth doesn’t come from winning or defending yourself; it comes from being secure enough in God that you can afford to lose. That’s the freedom of it: nobody can actually take anything from you that matters.
ENCOURAGEMENT
Jesus isn’t saying never stand up to evil or never protect people. Look at His own life: He flipped tables in the temple, He called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs, and He rebuked evil constantly. So it’s not about being a doormat.
The “do not resist” is specifically about personal retaliation—your own revenge when someone wrongs you directly. It’s saying don’t hit back, don’t sue back, and don’t escalate the insult. It’s the difference between defending someone else and defending your own ego. Standing for righteousness is one thing, but taking personal revenge is what Jesus is telling us to drop.
This is the lesson that molded me into the wife I am today. In fact, I spent a lot of time learning Jesus’s commands because I wanted to be sure that I loved Him and that He and His Father loved me.
As I get ready to share my testimony, I’m tearing up. It’s not easy to turn the other cheek. We do it because Jesus commands us, and He commands us for our own benefit—not to look weak or be a doormat.
My husband is a loving, caring man, but he has some ways about him that I don’t like. When he feels neglected or disrespected, he tends to show off and find ways to hurt me.
One evening, while we were entertaining my niece and her husband, my husband didn’t realize that I was in the dining room preparing dinner with my niece. He was in the living room with my niece’s husband. Without knowing that I was within earshot, he started talking negatively about me. I did not say one word. I let him say all of those negative things about me, and I kept cooking dinner. I acted like I didn’t even hear him.
My niece gave me a look like she felt sorry for me. I’m sure she didn’t understand my behavior. I wasn’t going to act a fool with him. I’ve learned that I can do more by being silent than I could ever do by defending myself. By staying silent, I gave him room to look at himself, and I prevented a rift between us in front of a newlywed couple. My husband felt bad about what he said, and his behavior has since changed. As I draw closer to God, I continue to choose to imitate Jesus’s behavior in how I respond to him.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, You know best. You commanded us to go the second mile, which gives us a choice. We don’t have to choose to battle. Help us choose peace instead of retaliation, while giving us the wisdom to protect ourselves when we need to. Continue to teach us the right way to live and to respond to those who try to harm us. Thank You for Your direction and protection. Forgive us when we choose to fight back, and give us the strength to stand. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.