At the time of Jesus’ ministry, Palestine seethed with hatred of Roman occupiers (and even of Hebrews with different views). Jesus called us to live out God’s grace by loving even our enemies and praying for them. In answer to a later question about which commandment was the greatest, he said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

• Jesus challenged even the standard of proportional revenge in the Law of Moses, and taught that revenge never resolves broken relationships. He called his followers to love in bigger ways than anyone had dreamed of before, to love their enemies and pray for those who harassed them. In his day, that would have meant praying for the Roman soldiers who occupied their country. (Jesus did that as those soldiers crucified him—cf. Luke 23:34.) How can we do that today?