Published: 8/24/2018
This is an excerpt from Mr. Cobb's God Talk at the 8-23-18 All School Chapel
As we kicked off this school year, the teachers and I have shared a common goal of being GPS systems that go the “EXTRA MILE” for our school community.
I shared that this summer as my family I were traveling this idea of the beauty of our GPS systems hit me. Now I have been a longtime user of GPS systems going all the way back to the early 1990s when there were no turn-by-turn directions and they were nothing more than fancy overhead projectors with maps.
Today our systems are advanced systems that offer so much more.
Now I love using WAZE and am amazed by the data, crowdsourcing, and direction it gives. Even with all its sophistication I still sometime get off track or ignore its instruction.
But here’s the amazing thing…When this happens.
It doesn’t get frustrated or chastise me.
It doesn’t tell me to go back to the beginning and start over.
It doesn’t refuse to help me anymore because of my failure.
No, it simply says “RECALCULATING” and then it gets me back on the path to where I am going.
It offers me GRACE, POSITIVITY, and SUPPORT.
So, this got me thinking about what Jesus said about the EXTRA MILE
Matthew 5:41 (NKJV)
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
During the time of Christ, the Roman Empire was in control. The Romans had taken many rules from those they conquered and made them their own. One such rule derived from Cyrus the Great who invented what we know now as a postal system. To make sure the system worked, the law dictated that any postal carrier could compel any citizen to carry the post for one mile.
So back to the time of Christ, during this time any Jew could be compelled to serve a Roman soldier or official by carrying a burden or load. Roman law required them to comply and go 1000 paces (a Roman mile). After that they could go about their own business. But Jesus taught that although they had a right to stop at one mile, they could choose to go on farther and do more than what was required of them. This is where we get the common phrase of 'going the extra mile'.
Let me give you some areas where we should go the extra mile.
Go the Extra Mile in Grace
Jesus taught that we should always exhibit a spirit of forgiveness and grace.
(Luke 17:3-4) “If your brother or sister sins against you, tell them they are wrong. Then if they turn away from their sins, forgive them. 4 Suppose they sin against you seven times in one day. And suppose they come back to you each time and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ You must forgive them.”
(Mat 18:21-22) 21 Peter came to Jesus. He asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.
So, imagine if we all gave and received this type of GRACE every day what an amazing place this would be.
(Eph 4:32) 32 Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.
That advice applies to every believer and every situation that we may find ourselves needing to handle. It applies at school, at home, and anywhere else you may go! Wouldn't it be positive for us to be known as one who went 'overboard' in forgiving?
Go the Extra Mile in POSITIVITY
We live in a very selfish and negative world. The opinion of the media and most of what we see is that things are bad or that we shouldn’t expect the best.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
To have a positive impact on the world around us and upon those whom we desire to impact, we need to go the extra mile in the area of giving.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)6 Here is something to remember. The one who plants only a little will gather only a little. And the one who plants a lot will gather a lot. God loves a cheerful giver.
If you GIVE big, you will RECEIVE big. So, be a cheerful giver and a bountiful receiver.
Go the Extra Mile in SUPPORT.
The secret to happiness is helping others. There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
The way we share our talents say a lot about us. Paul used the terminology of being an ambassador.
(2 Corinthians 5:20) 20 So we are Christ’s official ambassadors. People consider us and evaluate our character, our values and our faith by what we do.
I believe that All Saints Episcopal School can be known in Tyler, In Texas, and throughout the world as the school that goes overboard in going the extra mile in our Grace, our Positivity, and our Support.
As we kicked off this school year, the teachers and I have shared a common goal of being GPS systems that go the “EXTRA MILE” for our school community.
I shared that this summer as my family I were traveling this idea of the beauty of our GPS systems hit me. Now I have been a longtime user of GPS systems going all the way back to the early 1990s when there were no turn-by-turn directions and they were nothing more than fancy overhead projectors with maps.
Today our systems are advanced systems that offer so much more.
Now I love using WAZE and am amazed by the data, crowdsourcing, and direction it gives. Even with all its sophistication I still sometime get off track or ignore its instruction.
But here’s the amazing thing…When this happens.
It doesn’t get frustrated or chastise me.
It doesn’t tell me to go back to the beginning and start over.
It doesn’t refuse to help me anymore because of my failure.
No, it simply says “RECALCULATING” and then it gets me back on the path to where I am going.
It offers me GRACE, POSITIVITY, and SUPPORT.
So, this got me thinking about what Jesus said about the EXTRA MILE
Matthew 5:41 (NKJV)
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
During the time of Christ, the Roman Empire was in control. The Romans had taken many rules from those they conquered and made them their own. One such rule derived from Cyrus the Great who invented what we know now as a postal system. To make sure the system worked, the law dictated that any postal carrier could compel any citizen to carry the post for one mile.
So back to the time of Christ, during this time any Jew could be compelled to serve a Roman soldier or official by carrying a burden or load. Roman law required them to comply and go 1000 paces (a Roman mile). After that they could go about their own business. But Jesus taught that although they had a right to stop at one mile, they could choose to go on farther and do more than what was required of them. This is where we get the common phrase of 'going the extra mile'.
Let me give you some areas where we should go the extra mile.
Go the Extra Mile in Grace
Jesus taught that we should always exhibit a spirit of forgiveness and grace.
(Luke 17:3-4) “If your brother or sister sins against you, tell them they are wrong. Then if they turn away from their sins, forgive them. 4 Suppose they sin against you seven times in one day. And suppose they come back to you each time and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ You must forgive them.”
(Mat 18:21-22) 21 Peter came to Jesus. He asked, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.
So, imagine if we all gave and received this type of GRACE every day what an amazing place this would be.
(Eph 4:32) 32 Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.
That advice applies to every believer and every situation that we may find ourselves needing to handle. It applies at school, at home, and anywhere else you may go! Wouldn't it be positive for us to be known as one who went 'overboard' in forgiving?
Go the Extra Mile in POSITIVITY
We live in a very selfish and negative world. The opinion of the media and most of what we see is that things are bad or that we shouldn’t expect the best.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
To have a positive impact on the world around us and upon those whom we desire to impact, we need to go the extra mile in the area of giving.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)6 Here is something to remember. The one who plants only a little will gather only a little. And the one who plants a lot will gather a lot. God loves a cheerful giver.
If you GIVE big, you will RECEIVE big. So, be a cheerful giver and a bountiful receiver.
Go the Extra Mile in SUPPORT.
The secret to happiness is helping others. There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
The way we share our talents say a lot about us. Paul used the terminology of being an ambassador.
(2 Corinthians 5:20) 20 So we are Christ’s official ambassadors. People consider us and evaluate our character, our values and our faith by what we do.
I believe that All Saints Episcopal School can be known in Tyler, In Texas, and throughout the world as the school that goes overboard in going the extra mile in our Grace, our Positivity, and our Support.
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