Matthew Chapter 5: Verse 41
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
2 Timothy Chapter 1: Verses 16 -18 (NIV)
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.
I was struck by these verses in Paul’s letter to Timothy, which in fact was his last ever, by the fact that Paul’s friend Onesiphorus was a practical example of Jesus’ teaching to go the extra mile. Doing that isn’t always convenient and can be costly. Onesiphorus had to search for Paul in order to bring him comfort and practical assistance. He may have had to ask for direction, which in Nero’s Rome would have also marked him out as a Christian, and put him in danger of landing up in prison like Paul. But his efforts were totally appreciated by Paul, who was alone and in a dark dungeon facing execution, having been abandoned by some of his other associates.
We might never know just how much our putting ourselves out may have made a difference to someone. We don’t have to. But as followers of Christ, it is something that Jesus himself told us to do. And Onesiphorus did. He was putting his faith into practice in a very practical way, and it made a difference. We need to learn from his example.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the faithful example of Onesiphorus, and for those who have put themselves out to go the second mile for me. Help me to be ready to do the same for others. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.