You'd probably agree that personal retaliation has become a huge national problem. From angry neighbors, vengeful employers or employees, gangs at war with each other, teens and young men who feel wronged taking our knives and guns, divorced people getting back at their ex through the kids, to politicians blocking good legislation because of a vendetta against having their legislation blocked, personal revenge-seeking is a daily, almost universal problem.

Jesus tells us what he thinks of this as he instructs his disciples in the kind of righteousness God is looking for. His directions are among the best-know and most radical of all his teaching. We'll see how Jesus wants us to deal with the urge to retaliate in this message.