Excellent article, Dan! Matthew's version has "Pray for those who persecute you" and Luke, "Do good to those who hate you." Jesus doesn't make it easy for sure!

I agree that there is no more difficult commandment. However, I learned there is a similar demand in the Qu'ran. Since Allah forgives you, you must forgive, is one. Another is that forgiveness of a wrong begins by mastering your anger. Then decide to forgive. Finally change the circumstances which caused the offender to offend in the first place. The word for this is ‘afawa: (عفو).

Arabic also has the most words for love, some fourteen, which denote different kinds and stages of love.