If
you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.
Luke 6:32-34
Luke 6 [27.] “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.
Luke 6 [31.] “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
Luke 6 [36.] “Therefore be merciful,
even as your Father is also merciful.
Don’t judge,
and you won’t be judged.
Don’t condemn,
and you won’t be condemned.
Set free,
and you will be set free.
Meaning:
Jesus has just given the golden rule: “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them” (Luke 6:31). Someone could take that rule as a simple bargain: be kind so that others will be kind to you. In these three verses Jesus closes that door. He asks three sharp questions which show that ordinary, give-and-take kindness is not yet the love of God’s Kingdom.
- “What credit is that to you?”
The word translated “credit” means grace, favour or thanks. Jesus is asking, “What is remarkable about that? What is there in it that shows the grace of God?” Each of the three questions is followed by the same answer: “even sinners” do this. In Jesus’ day “sinners” meant people who openly ignored God’s law. Matthew records the same saying with “tax collectors” and “the Gentiles” as the examples (Matthew 5:46-47).
- “If you love those who love you”
Loving people who love us comes naturally. Families, friends and communities everywhere do it, whether or not they know God. It is good, but it is not distinctive. Jesus calls his followers to a love that goes beyond the circle of return, a love like God’s own. Paul describes it: “God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God loved us first, when we had nothing to give him in return.
- “If you do good to those who do good to you”
In the ancient world, much of social life ran on favours given and returned. A gift placed the receiver under obligation, and people chose carefully whom they helped so that they would be repaid. Jesus overturns this. Later, at a meal, he told his host, “When you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you” (Luke 14:13-14).
- “If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive”
The Law of Moses already taught generosity in lending. “If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you; then you shall uphold him” (Leviticus 25:35). Interest was not to be charged to a poor fellow Israelite. Jesus takes this further. Even lending only to those who are able to repay is the way sinners lend. In the next sentence he gives the alternative: “lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High” (Luke 6:35).
The Significance of Luke 6:32-34
- Grace goes beyond fairness
Fair exchange is the way the world works. Grace gives without calculating the return. When followers of Jesus love, help and lend where nothing can come back, they show something of God’s own character.
- Our reward comes from God
Jesus does not say there is no reward. He says we should not look for it from the people we help. “He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him” (Proverbs 19:17). Generosity is an act of trust that God sees and repays.
- A test for everyday life
These questions are practical. Whom do we invite, help or lend to? Only those who can return the favour? Jesus invites us to widen the circle to include the needy, the ungrateful and even our enemies.
Cross-References:
Matthew 5:46: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?" Matthew’s account of the same teaching.
Luke 6:35: "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back" The alternative Jesus gives straight after.
Romans 5:8: "God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The love that goes first.
Proverbs 19:17: "He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him." God repays generosity.
Conclusion: Jesus asks three questions: what credit is there in loving those who love you, doing good to those who do good to you, or lending only where you expect repayment? Even sinners do those things. The love of God’s Kingdom goes further. It reaches people who cannot repay, as God himself loved us while we were still sinners. Those who live this way show that they are children of the Most High, and their reward comes from him.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible