Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount that we can choose to treat people based on how they treat us (the code of reciprocity) or we can treat people based on the way God treats us. IE: We can learn to forgive as we have been forgiven. That sounds good until we get to the four illustrations Jesus uses on how to live this out. He tells us in Matthew 5:39-42 to "not to resist an evil person, to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, and to give to anyone who asks". At first glance, these teachings seem daunting and unrealistic, but they offer us a transformative way of living that rises above resentment and conflict. They are not laws but creative possibilities on how to approach life in a way that reflects God's kingdom. He calls us to meet hostility with generosity, to confront injustice with grace, and to respond to demands with a spirit of service. This is not an easy path to walk and yet it offers us freedom and fullness of life!