The extra mile and the other cheek

• Readings for Sunday 23rd February, (The 7th Sunday after Epiphany) can include Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 • 
• Psalm 119:33-40 • 
• 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 • 
• Matthew 5:38-48

The focus this week shifts a little

although we are still emphasising that it is not just sufficient to

say the right thing

but also to do it

last week's emphasis

was more on not doing the wrong thing

But today we are exhorted to do the right thing

Both, of course, are necessary

Jesus uses extreme examples (hyperbole)

this grabs our attention

and indeed they contain some of his most memorable ideas

That is part of the purpose of hyperbole

-to grab our attention-

If anyone strikes you, then turn the other cheek!

If someone wants your jumper, give them your coat too!

To someone who make you do something you don't want, do more than they ask!

And so it goes on

This week therefore we are being invited to stretch ourselves in doing good.

You might immediately think of a situation where this applies, and so you have the opportunity to respond.

But if you need more convincing then maybe we need to go back to first principles (which is sort of what we have been doing over the last few weeks).

Jesus is inviting us not just to keep the rules,

or not just to not break the rules (if you can suss out that double negative)

but to recognise that this discipleship is going to be about

deciding at the very core of our being that we are going to live our life...not out of the book

but according to the principles.

This is probably harder,

because it means we have to actually think about what we do.

We have to do more than just accidently be Christian

It is about commitment.

So THIS WEEK..there may be some obvious place where we can go the extra mile, dig a little deeper, act more out of principle than out of duty

or we may have to grapple with this deeper again

To talk with Jesus about what this will mean.

This is not about punishment, it is not about making life hard. It is about acting out of the heart, rather than the head.

About living the Gospel, rather than keeping the rules.

Find one thing to do, and do it.