Jesus’ sermon on the mount is a unique message. The call to not resist the evil person, to turn the other cheek, to walk the second mile, and to give more than what is demanded all seem like nonsense to any sensible person.

Rather than reading these statements in the Sermon as commands or laws to be obeyed, we ought to see them as illustrations of a life shaped by God’s kingdom. They are examples of what happens when we consider what is best for the other person rather than ourselves, even if that other person is our enemy.