Be Like God!

Today's Gospel from the Sermon on the Mount can be very confusing. Jesus says, "Give no resistance to one who is evil." Is Jesus saying that we do not have the right to defend our self? Does someone in a situation of abuse need to tolerate it? We see from the examples that follow that clearly the answer to these questions is, "No." But Jesus is saying that we must let go of those (relatively) small, personal slights committed against us -- those things that often leave us holding grudges and resentments. To let these things go is to "be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect." Because Jesus lived this way, he expected that we do too.