Love is a 2nd mile challenge!
Love challenges our system. Jesus challenges our definition of how to love & who to love.
No longer are we to operate under a eye for eye, tooth for tooth system. We are challenged to operate in a love that gives more than what is required.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 "if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." The context here is startling.
We have the ability to love in all situations. Even in powerless situations we have the power to love.
First Love 4 - The 2nd Mile from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
When forced to go 1 mile, while you walk the 2nd mile in love?
First Love 4 – 2nd Mile
Sermon Notes by Chris Fluitt
Redemption Church | A friendly nondenominational church in Plano Tx
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Welcome to Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am excited about our new Sermon Series starting next Sunday.  You are called to be a Leader.. too often we fall into failure – a Leader Slip.  I want to invite you to join me the next 3 weeks as we invest in you and your calling to be an influencer of people – A Leader!
First Love
Today we are in the last week of our Sermon Series First Love. We have come nowhere near covering everything your Bible says about Love and keeping it first in our life. Today I want to end our First Love sermon series with a challenge. Please turn with me to Matthew 5:38.  Today is going to be a challenging message… The challenge comes straight from Jesus.
Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'(NIV)
Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.(NIV)
Matthew 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.(NIV)
Matthew 5:41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.(NIV)
Matthew 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.(NIV)
Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'(NIV)
Matthew 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(NIV)
The Challenge
Jesus gives us a challenge. He challenges the system. He challenges the way we view the world. He challenges the idea of what it means to love and who to love.
The system is “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” In the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 19:21 & Exodus 21:24, it puts into law a system for dealing with conflict. If someone takes your eye, you take their eye, if someone takes your tooth, your hand your foot, then you take their tooth, hand or foot.  Life for life.
This was the system in the time of Moses. This was the system during the time Jesus spoke in Matthew 5. And it is still the system today.  When someone does us harm, there is something in us that rises up to do harm to them. When someone says something mean to you, your mind immediately races to think of something mean to say in return.
Jesus challenges this system. He challenges our system. He offers a system based on love. In this system we are challenged to respond in love.
Love has the highest value
In His system love has the highest value.  The thing that was taken is not as valuable as the love that is given. The eye is not as valuable as love. The tooth is not as valuable as love.  The revenge for a strike on the cheek is not as valuable to Jesus as Love.
Is this challenging?
If someone attempts to sue you or to steal your “tunic” (a piece of clothing – think jacket)… Jesus suggests that the tunic is not so great a value that you should try to stop them… in fact you should let them have it… SAY WHAT!?  He goes on to say give them your cloak also.
Does sound challenging yet?
In the system that Jesus proposes,