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Mark Crow
“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like Him. Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” (1 Peter 4:1, MSG; NIV)
THE finish line. The cheering crowds! One of the most critical points in any race is the time when the runner is approaching the finish line and begins to hear the praises of the people there to see him win.
Crowds always assemble at the end of the course, pushing and shoving for the best position, because they want to watch the winner cross the finish line.
Jesus, our Coach throughout this race of life that we run, provides the example we need of how to finish successfully — how to run the second mile and win the race that God has set forth for us to run.
Most coaches have played in the sport they coach; it’s rare to find a tennis coach who has not played tennis himself, or a basketball coach who has never sunk any hoops in a game of his own.
In the same way, Jesus, our Coach ran the most successful race ever run, but He remembers the struggles and pitfalls He experienced — and He can help us face these challenges, if we listen to Him and follow His example.
Jesus’ second-mile race began in His journey to the Cross. In the book of Matthew, we read the account of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem, just prior to the appointed time of His death. The story is often referred to as the Triumphal Entry:
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered,
“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11)
This story took place on what we now call Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Jesus was crucified. Jesus was just five days away from finishing His second mile. It is important to remember that this was the race He had chosen to run, not the race He was required to run by law.
This is a very crucial time for Jesus because — like in any race — when a runner approaches the finish line, that is where the people gather. The crowd that assembled to welcome Jesus was not just made of curiosity seekers. They included people whose lives had been forever changed because they came into contact with Him.
In addition to the disciples, there were people in the crowd who were among the thousands that were fed with just a few fish and several loaves of bread. There were many who had been healed, and possibly those who had been raised from the dead. And there were others to whom He said, “Your sins are forgiven,” setting them free from the bondage of sin.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem that day, He was met by a crowd of people who were enthusiastic that the entire city was stirred. At that point, it would have been so much easier for Him to take His eyes off the finish line and just quit while He was ahead, than to go through what He would experience over the next five days.
Throughout the race of life, God is going to call on each of us a number of times to accomplish something more than we think we are capable of doing. And each time we near the finish line, we will be tempted to say, “I am coming to the end of this thing, and I’m tired,” and then cease to continue giving it all we’ve got.
In order to finish each leg of our race victoriously, there are three things that we must learn from the way Jesus ran His second mile:
First, Jesus used prophecy as a mile marker;
Second, Jesus ran through the parade;
Third, Jesus ran through the praise.
Imagine this crowd through the eyes of Jesus. That day when they were asked who He was, they answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
They did not recognise Him as the Son of God, so the parade they created in order to give Him praise was because they esteemed Him as a prophet, not as the Messiah.
You may never experience a situation that in reality places you in the midst of an excited crowd of people as you run toward a finish line. But any time you are involved in doing something with and for God, I guarantee that you will have to deal with prophecy, parades and praise. As you learn how Jesus ran His second mile, you too, will be able to handle the things you have to face, as you run your race and finish in victory.
SOURCE: From Mark Crow’s “Secrets of the Second Mile: How to overcome Life’s Obstacles and Live in Victory”. — 1984, HonorNet.
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