DOING JUST ENOUGH TO GET BY (11)
Scripture: 2 Kings 13:14-19
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Doing Just Enough to Get By (11)
Series: Soul Winning
Donald Cantrell
2 Kings 13: 14 – 19
I – The Somber Occasion (14)
II – The Special Opportunity (15 – 18)
III – The Striking Offense (19)
Theme: “The danger of just doing the minimum for God”
Are You a 1 Miler or a 2 Miler?
Jesus said, "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:41). Roman soldiers could force citizens of Israel or any foreigner to carry their backpacks for a mile. Let us look and see some needful insight as to the logic behind “going the extra mile.”
Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, invented the postal system to carry letters and documents from one place to another. To make his system work, any courier could force anyone to carry the mail for one mile, but only one mile.
The Romans adopted this system for their military to keep their soldiers from getting worn out from carrying heavy backpacks, which weighed about 66 pounds. That is a lot of weight to carry, especially for someone else.
Roman soldiers could compel any Jew to carry his backpack for one mile. Roman roads had mile markers similar to the mile markers we have today on Interstate highways, so it was easy to know where each mile started and ended. If someone refused to do it, he would be flogged.
The Jews hated the Romans because they were Gentile foreigners running their country and they had to pay taxes to Caesar. Carrying a Roman soldier’s heavy backpacks for a mile added to their hatred. The distance was actually two miles because he had to carry it one mile to wherever the soldier was going, and then he had to walk back a mile to get where he was previously.
When a Roman soldier told someone to carry his pack, the Jew would have to drop everything he was doing and go out of his way to obey his order. I’m sure every Roman soldier felt resentment and heard complaining by the person carrying the pack.
Now Jesus says, “Not only do I want you to carry it ...
Series: Soul Winning
Donald Cantrell
2 Kings 13: 14 – 19
I – The Somber Occasion (14)
II – The Special Opportunity (15 – 18)
III – The Striking Offense (19)
Theme: “The danger of just doing the minimum for God”
Are You a 1 Miler or a 2 Miler?
Jesus said, "And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:41). Roman soldiers could force citizens of Israel or any foreigner to carry their backpacks for a mile. Let us look and see some needful insight as to the logic behind “going the extra mile.”
Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, invented the postal system to carry letters and documents from one place to another. To make his system work, any courier could force anyone to carry the mail for one mile, but only one mile.
The Romans adopted this system for their military to keep their soldiers from getting worn out from carrying heavy backpacks, which weighed about 66 pounds. That is a lot of weight to carry, especially for someone else.
Roman soldiers could compel any Jew to carry his backpack for one mile. Roman roads had mile markers similar to the mile markers we have today on Interstate highways, so it was easy to know where each mile started and ended. If someone refused to do it, he would be flogged.
The Jews hated the Romans because they were Gentile foreigners running their country and they had to pay taxes to Caesar. Carrying a Roman soldier’s heavy backpacks for a mile added to their hatred. The distance was actually two miles because he had to carry it one mile to wherever the soldier was going, and then he had to walk back a mile to get where he was previously.
When a Roman soldier told someone to carry his pack, the Jew would have to drop everything he was doing and go out of his way to obey his order. I’m sure every Roman soldier felt resentment and heard complaining by the person carrying the pack.
Now Jesus says, “Not only do I want you to carry it ...
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