Matthew 5:41 (WEB)

Passage

Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

Matthew 5:41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Matthew 5:42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whoever", "compels", and "mile". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whoever" and "compels", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "If anyone sues you to take away..." into verse 42's "Give to him who asks you and...", so "whoever" and "compels" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "whoever" and "compels" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.