The baggage of having to do what everybody else does.
v 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
You know the story, I’m sure. The Roman soldiers who were occupying Israel, had the Conquerors’ right to demand that any local citizen should carry their belongings for one mile. No true Jew however would carry this Roman ‘stuff’ one foot beyond the statutory mile. ‘I’ve done my mile, mate – find someone else.’ That is how any self-respecting Jew would respond. You can fully understand that attitude too! The Jews didn’t dislike the Romans, they hated them! So Jesus says why not do the unexpected thing, try doing what love might do. Love demands an excess of the volunteer spirit, why not smile for a change and take the load for another mile. Give the Romans a better impression of us – don’t be like everyone else!
Always conforming to the majority is potentially a worrying characteristic. Maybe you are not comfortable standing out from the crowd – so you go along with decisions and life-style planning even when your conscience murmurs ‘no’ in the background.
Some Christians are not called ‘Non-Conformists’ without a reason!
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