Go The Extra Mile

As a boy, Jesus would have probably watched the road in his spare time. He would have seen many colorful caravans traveling to take their goods to many different cities. He would have seen messengers on horseback riding very fast to get letters of importance to Alexandria or other major cities. He would have seen chariots built for wealthy men and women carrying their occupants to important destinations.

The boy Jesus would have also seen many Roman soldiers marching along the road. The soldiers' swords would have been clanking at their side as they marched in formation. Jesus would have seen something that many people did not like.  

A Roman soldier could make a Jew carry his heavy pack of belongings. 

Jesus no doubt saw Jews having to walk bent over under a heavy burden along side the soldiers. The law stated that the Jew only had to carry it a mile. But the Jews felt very humiliated to have to do this.

When Jesus became an adult, the law still stood. And Jesus could have easily talked about how unfair this law was. He could have told the Jews to no longer carry these burdens for the Romans. He could have told the Romans that the Jews would no longer be "human donkeys."