And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also love those that love them.
και ει αγαπατε τους αγαπωντας υμας ποια υμιν χαρις εστιν και γαρ οι αμαρτωλοι τους αγαπωντας αυτους αγαπωσιν
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He presents them with an additional motivation, stating that loving those who love you makes you akin to sinners and those outside the covenant; however, showing love to those who harbor resentment towards you reflects the nature of God, who extends kindness to both the ungrateful and the wicked.
The Christian is provided with a foundational model, encouraging him to seek gratitude rather than settle for the mere law of nature. While it is typical for all, including wrongdoers, to reciprocate love with love, someone of elevated status should aim even higher, embracing virtue and extending love even to those who do not love him (see Luke 6:32-35). Although a deficiency in qualities that inspire love may impede the expression of that love, it should not obstruct the practice of virtue.
It is disgraceful to neglect gratitude towards the one who cares for you; just as the love you receive can spark affection for someone you previously did not love, you must cultivate a love for virtue in those who are difficult to love, allowing that love for virtue to help you open your heart to them. The rewards of love may be fleeting and infrequent, but the rewards of virtue endure forever.
The apostle’s declaration that love is kind, does not harbor envy, and does not boast (1 Cor. 13:4) finds its culmination in these teachings. If love is patient, it must exhibit forbearance toward those who cause harm; if it is compassionate, it should not retaliate against insults; if it does not seek its own interests (1 Cor. 13:5), it must not resist a thief; and if it is devoid of envy, it cannot harbor hate for an adversary. The commandments of divine love surpass those of the apostles, for it is nobler to give than to submit, and to love one's enemies is a higher calling than merely to refrain from envy. The Lord exemplified all of this: when insulted, He did not return the insult; when assaulted, He did not retaliate (1 Pet. 2:23); when stripped of His garments, He did not fight back; and as He was crucified, He interceded for those who persecuted Him, saying, Father, forgive their sin, for they know not what they do (Lk. 23:34). He absolved His accusers of their guilt.
Certainly! Here's the paraphrased text based on your specifications:
In that place, you will discover this as well.
(Note: The biblical quotation remains unchanged as instructed.)
In this discourse, He refers to all as ‘sinners’ and includes both those who have not been called by Him, such as the Gentiles, and those who fail to live in accordance with His Gospel. This illustrates that merely being labeled ‘Christians’ is insufficient if our actions do not set us apart from the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul pointed out to the Jews that ‘circumcision avails if thou doest the law: but if thou art a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is uncircumcision’ (Rom. 2:25). Similarly, Christ instructs us in the Gospel that grace shall be extended to those who belong to Him if they adhere to His commandments.
However, if we engage solely in the same activities as sinners—loving those who love us and doing good only to those who are good to us—such actions do not foster a true relationship with Him. He emphasizes this not to dissuade us from loving our neighbors or doing good deeds but to highlight that these actions, done with merely human intentions, bring no lasting reward to our souls, nor do they purify us from the stains of sin. All of these works, as presented, do not contribute to our eternal benefit or grace.
Furthermore, those not represented here are even more culpable and detrimental to their souls; individuals who fail to reciprocate love and wound those who care for them are worse than publicans and sinners. How much graver are those who, through their behavior and speech, respond with hostility to those who express love and concern for them! Such individuals rebel against the authorities established in their communities and neglect to show the necessary respect to the rulers ordained by God, lacking humility before God's powerful hand, and refusing to submit to Christ's Church while exacerbating discord against its leaders and ministers.
In this context, sinners are identified not solely as those who transgress God's commandments, which promise significant rewards to those who obey, but also as the unrighteous and unfaithful who lack a law that offers heavenly accolades for their good deeds. These sinners, motivated not by love for God but rather by self-interest, and not for the purpose of righteousness but for the sake of gain, tend to love only those who show them affection, perform good deeds only for those who do likewise, and offer assistance solely to those from whom they anticipate receiving a similar benefit. What merit or recognition from God could these individuals possibly earn? None at all. They are already compensated by those who have done them good.
In return for loving those who reciprocate their affection, they receive love and companionship; for the obligations they hold, they receive equivalent exchanges. Similarly, the Lord, in dismissing the virtues esteemed by the world and sinful conduct, upholds the true principles of genuine, selfless love and virtue.
In disclosing this foundational truth, the Lord intentionally addressed and rectified various misunderstandings that had permeated the moral teachings of that era, propagated by the religious leaders who, driven by their desires, either restricted or expanded the interpretation of the commandments. He clarified the authentic meanings of the third, sixth, and seventh commandments; He dismissed the erroneous views regarding divorce and retribution; and He refuted the misguided conclusions drawn from certain Mosaic laws regarding enmity. Through this, the Lord illustrated the proper interpretation of the law and the disposition that a citizen of the kingdom of heaven should nurture within.
Not merely acts of violence, but any absence of love; not just overt acts of immorality, but also impure intentions; not solely breaking an oath, but any form of injustice that an oath is meant to prevent; nor blatant violations of fairness toward others, but also an uncaring quest for personal rights—these actions are all contrary to the law that the Messiah establishes for His kingdom. The fundamental and defining characteristic of those who belong to His kingdom is love for all, without exception, even toward adversaries, reflecting the perfection of the Heavenly Father in all aspects.
The principle can be found in Leviticus 19:18. Notably, the phrase, "And thou shalt hate thine enemy," does not appear in the original law. Instead, it was added by the Jewish scribes, revealing their interpretation of the love of one's neighbor. For the Jewish people, only members of their own community were seen as neighbors, while those outside—Gentiles—were viewed as adversaries. There is no direct denial of this added interpretation by Jewish scholars in the referenced passage in Leviticus, nor does Christ condemn this distortion of the law at this point, suggesting that the Jewish perspective regarding Gentiles held some legitimate grounding.
The Jewish affection for Gentiles was notably absent in the law, likely reflecting the reality that Gentiles opposed the true faith and to discourage the Jews from forming alliances that could lure them towards idolatry. However, like many other laws, the legalists of Judaism twisted this commandment regarding neighborly love to justify the sinful inclinations of a rebellious heart towards others. In contrast, Jesus Christ presents a new law of love that, while opposing sin, embraces sinners—mirroring the love of God, which extends grace and mercy to all, both the righteous and the unrighteous.
What is disclosed in Matthew 5:39-48 embodies this understanding of the ‘love of God’. While the Gospel of Luke conveys this principle more succinctly, he emphasizes the law of love towards neighbors without directly contrasting it with the Christian love that encompasses even one’s enemies. The essence of the distinction in verse 27 highlights: though you Christians may face persecution for your allegiance to Me, you are called to love your enemies.
If you love, etc.: refer to Matthew 5:46-48 for further details. In this instance, Luke the Evangelist elaborates more extensively on the words of the Savior compared to Matthew, illustrating the comparisons in a broader array of situations than found in Matthew's account. Nevertheless, the fundamental meaning of these comparisons remains consistent: Christian virtue must stem not from the flawed motivations of a corrupted heart, but from a loftier principle rooted in selfless love for everyone.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS