Luke 6:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When you offer assistance to the underprivileged for the sake of the Lord, it serves as both a gift and a loan—a gift due to the expectation of no return, and a loan based on the Lord’s bounty, who will Himself recompense it, repaying a little taken from the poor with abundant blessings. For “he who has mercy on the poor gives to God” (Proverbs 19:17). Would you not desire the Lord, who is equally accessible to all, to shoulder the obligation of repaying you? If a wealthy individual in the city guarantees payment for others, would you not accept their assurance? Yet, will you not permit God to cover for the needy? Return the silver you possess, which you've acquired without measure, without burdening the poor with excess, and it will be beneficial for both parties—beneficial for you as your silver remains secured, and for him who received it, as he will gain by utilizing it. If you seek profit, find contentment in what you shall receive from the Lord. He will repay the poor along with an increase. From the truly compassionate, expect compassion in return. If you take from the needy, this exemplifies profound inhumanity. You gain from the misfortunes of others, collecting riches from their tears, exploiting the naked, and oppressing the hungry. You exhibit no mercy and disregard any sense of kinship towards the afflicted—yet you brand the profits gained this way as benevolence? “Woe to them that speak bitter sweet, and sweet bitter” (cf. Is. 5:20), who confuse cruelty with humanity. Such was not the oracle shared by Samson with his guests: “out of him that eateth the poisonous shall come forth, and out of the strong shall come forth the sweet” (Judg. 14:14), nor should humanity be expected from a hater of humans. One does not gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles; “every tree produces evil fruit” (cf. Matt. 7:16-17). There are some collectors of growth—whether a hundred or ten (and it is distressing even to speak their names)—and some who gather monthly, akin to demons, stirring up a whirlwind of affliction, attacking the needy in accordance with the lunar cycles. This is detrimental for both the giver and the receiver! It harms the finances of one and jeopardizes the soul of the other. The farmer, after harvesting the ear, does not seek the seed beneath the root again, yet you take the fruit and do not show mercy for the source from which your gain comes. You sow without the soil, reaping without planting. It is uncertain for whom you gather. While one may weep over the growth—this is clear—what is less certain is who will benefit from the wealth amassed. For it remains uncertain if you will ever bestow the benefits of your riches upon others, having amassed for yourself an evil of injustice. Therefore, “do not turn away him who wants to declare” (cf. Matthew 5:42), and “do not give your silver” “in excess,” so that, having learned valuable lessons from both the Old and New Testaments, you may return to the Lord with earnest hope, receiving an abundance of good works through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

By recognizing and cherishing virtue, you may begin to cultivate love for the individual. While the rewards of love may be fleeting and infrequent, the rewards of virtue are everlasting.

The apostle’s declaration that love is kind, does not envy, and does not boast (1 Cor. 13:4) finds its fulfillment in these commandments. If love is patient, it must demonstrate forbearance toward those who cause harm; if it is merciful, it must refrain from retaliation; if it does not seek its own interest (1 Cor. 13:5), it must not resist the thief; and if it is not envious, it must not harbor hatred toward enemies. Yet, the tenets of divine love surpass those taught by the apostles since it is nobler to give than to simply yield, and to love one’s adversaries is a greater calling than simply refraining from envy. The Lord exemplified all these principles in His life: when He was insulted, He did not return insult for insult; when struck, He did not retaliate (1 Pet. 2:23); when His clothes were taken from Him, He did not resist; when He was crucified, He interceded for His persecutors, saying, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Lk. 23:34). He released His accusers from blame.

Consider the usurer who not only jeopardizes his own soul but also tarnishes the reputation of his entire community by fostering inhumanity and pervasive injustice. As a member of the community, he acquires wealth but chooses not to support those in need, instead offering loans at interest that strip away the little resources they possess. Consequently, the Prophet associates deceit with bribery, stating, "I have fled away, and am in the wilderness: for I have seen iniquity and contention in the city, and there is no lack of deceit and flattery from its stack" (Psalms 54:8, 10, 12).

Thus, the moneylender seeks riches not merely through currency but through sins, devastating the life of the borrower along with his own spirit. Interest can be likened to the spawn of the echidna, infesting the heart of greed, serving as a precursor to the enduring judgment that awaits in the age to come. Should anyone claim, "If you forbid me from taking interest, I will simply keep my excess wealth to myself and deny loans to those in need," they should realize they are harboring within themselves the seeds of destruction, bringing forth unsleeping tormentors in the future.

It is not merely the act of inflicting harm that is to be condemned, but any absence of love; not only the overt sins of lust and impurity, but also even the lustful intent; not just the breaking of oaths, but any form of injustice that an oath is designed to protect against; not solely the blatant denial of justice to another, but also the inhumane pursuit of personal rights—each of these actions contradicts the law established by the Messiah for His realm. The defining characteristic of His kingdom's citizens is an all-encompassing love, extending even to adversaries, mirroring in all aspects the perfection of the Heavenly Father.

The law did not explicitly instruct Jews to love Gentiles, perhaps because these Gentiles were seen as opponents of true faith and to deter Jews from forming ties that might lead them toward idolatry. Nevertheless, like many other statutes, Jewish legalists twisted this command of loving one's neighbor to justify negative and sinful attitudes within their hearts. In response, Jesus Christ introduces a new command of love, which aligns with God's love—hating sin while extending mercy and compassion to sinners, embracing all humanity, both the righteous and unrighteous.

It is illustrated in Matthew 5:39-48, where the term 'love of God' indicates a contrast between the New Testament's teaching and the Old Testament law as commonly interpreted by contemporary Jews. Luke succinctly conveys the law of loving one's neighbor without a direct opposition to the concept of Christian love, which even includes love for enemies. The distinction presented in verse 27 emphasizes that while Christians may face persecution for their faith in Him, they are still called to love their enemies.

In what way has He shown Himself ungrateful, He might inquire? What lack have you detected in Me that you abandon Me to seek aid from others? Did you lend to one while demanding from another? Though humanity may receive, God has commanded humanity to give. Indeed, God has stated: He who lends to the poor lends to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17). You have lent to God; therefore, seek His return! This profound teaching from the saint should linger in our minds whenever we find ourselves frustrated by the ingratitude of those we have aided. If, in our acts of kindness toward our neighbors— or, as Christ expressed in relatable terms, our lending to them— we anticipate accolades, gratitude, or similar sentiments, we are most likely to be met with stark ingratitude, which is a just consequence for our lack of selflessness in our generosity. If you lend (or do good) to those from whom you expect repayment, what merit is that to you? (Luke 6:34); that is, are you deserving of thanks for it? In a different teaching, Christ noted that in performing acts of charity, we are merely fulfilling His commandments, the will of God, thus we are not entitled to expect thanks from others. Which of you, He asked, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, when the servant returns from the field, would say to him, ‘Hurry, sit down for dinner’? Instead, will he not say, ‘Prepare for me a meal, and after you have dressed, serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you may eat and drink’? Will he express gratitude to the servant for doing what he was commanded? I doubt it. Similarly, when you have completed all that you were instructed, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have merely fulfilled our duty’ (Luke 17:7-10). Therefore, let us not allow human ingratitude to deter us from obeying God's commandments! Let us not perceive our obligations to our neighbors as acts of bravery or exceptional merit! Let us not shy away from those who may exploit our willingness to assist. And in our acts of assistance, let us do so selflessly, without anticipation of acknowledgment or reward from them.