Jesus Wants us To Go The Extra Mile

Main message: Christians are called to resist the natural, reciprocal instinct to "treat people the way they treat you" and instead follow Jesus' teaching to "go the extra mile" in relationships. This is presented as the fifth and perhaps hardest of five relationship rules.

Key points:

• The default cultural and human tendency is reciprocal treatment — responding in kind.
• Jesus' teaching challenges that instinct and calls for a different, higher way of relating.
• This sermon concludes a series on five relationship rules.
• The previous four rules: fight for peace, honor one another, keep marriage sacred, and keep your word.
• This week's rule, "going the extra mile," is identified as especially difficult to practice.

Scriptures mentioned: none