Reflection on Wink

The command to love thy neighbor and to go the extra mile is rather typical of the teachings of the New Testament. There are many possible reasons behind this teaching which were not examined in the text, one which I feel is more likely to be accurate than the ones which are included in the text written by Walter Wink. The basis behind this idea is conversion of Roman soldiers to Christianity when they see how polite and helpful the members of this religion are. This interpretation depends on the fact that the gospels were written well after the time of Jesus and during a time of severe repression of the Christians (this was after they had separated themselves from the Jews as a separate religion/cult). The forcing of the uninvolved citizens to carry military packs for a mile shows the amount of power which was being exerted over them by the military and demonstrates the fact that violence will pervade their lives, especially since they would usually have to be coerced into carrying the pack. However carrying for a mile farther than you had to would demonstrate your willingness to do your part without committing an act of violence. This would make it a nonviolent act which would have the additional benefit of making the religion seem better than it previously appeared and the potential to gain new converts. This also makes the people seem more self serving than before, but makes them more likely to do it, since people do not appreciate doing things which are not in their self interest.