“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just asking what reward you get; he's questioning the kind of thanks you receive. Loving only those who love you back isn't truly virtuous or pleasing to God; it's just ordinary human exchange, something even those outside God's favor do.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just delivered a radical teaching about loving enemies, moving beyond mere obligation. He now challenges his listeners by asking what merit there is in extending love only to those who reciprocate it, pointing out that even those outside God's favor act this way. This sets the stage for his call to a higher, divine standard of love that seeks no earthly reward.
Ever notice how easy it is to be nice to people who are nice to you? Jesus points out that this isn't exactly a high bar to clear.
Jesus challenges the disciples to think critically about their motivations for love and kindness. He highlights that loving those who love us back, or doing good to those who do good to us, is a common, even expected, behavior. This isn't a bad thing in itself, but it's not distinctively Christian.
Think about it: even people who don't follow God act this way. They love their friends, they reward kindness with kindness. This is simply a matter of reciprocity, of keeping score, or of basic social agreement. Jesus is saying this kind of love, while natural, doesn't elevate you; it keeps you on the same level as everyone else.
If 'doing good to your friends' isn't the ultimate goal, then what is? Jesus sets an astonishingly high standard.
The contrast Jesus is drawing isn't between good people and bad people, but between human standards of love and divine standards. The love God calls us to is radical. It's a love that can extend to enemies, to those who hurt us, to those who offer us nothing in return.
This 'higher' kind of love doesn't come from our own natural ability. It flows from God's love for us, which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. When we truly love as God loves, we reflect His character, demonstrating a goodness that can't be explained by mere human relationships or self-interest.
Understand the original words
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agapaō · Greek Verb
A self-sacrificial, intentional, and unconditional love that seeks the highest good of another, modeled perfectly by God's love for humanity.
hamartōlos · Greek Noun
A general term for those who miss the mark of God's perfect standard; in a moral sense, it refers to those living in opposition to God's will and law.
charis · Greek Noun
The inherent value or divine favor associated with an action or state; often used to denote grace or that which is pleasing and acceptable to God.
This passage parallels Luke's point directly, highlighting that even tax collectors (often seen as 'sinners' in that society) show affection to those who are kind to them, questioning the spiritual merit of such reciprocal kindness.
Romans 12:10This verse calls believers to 'outdo one another in showing honor,' which contrasts with the self-serving love Jesus addresses in Luke 6:32. It points towards a higher, selfless standard of love that goes beyond mere reciprocity.
1 John 4:19John's letter emphasizes that 'We love because he first loved us.' This provides the divine motivation for extending love, suggesting that true, self-sacrificing love originates from God's own initiative, not from human expectation of return.
Proverbs 14:4This proverb wisely notes that 'without oxen a granary is empty, but abundant is the yield by the strength of an ox.' It speaks to the concept that effort and resources yield results, a principle that can be compared to the 'fruit' or 'benefit' Jesus asks about, implying that ordinary love yields ordinary results, while divine love yields extraordinary ones.
pulpitLuke 6:32: "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them."
Verses 32, 33. - For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. There are three manners of return, as Augustine - quoted by Archbishop Trench in his 'Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount' - observes, which men may make one to ano…
jfbLuke 6:12-49: "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
Lu 6:12-49. The Twelve Apostles Chosen—Gathering Multitudes—Glorious Healing.12, 13. went out—probably from Capernaum.all night in prayer … and when … day, he called, &c.—The work with which the next day began shows what had been the burden of this night's devotions. As He directed His disciples to pray for "laborers" just before sending themselves forth (see on…
Jesus isn't just asking what reward you get; he's questioning the kind of thanks you receive. Loving only those who love you back isn't truly virtuous or pleasing to God; it's just ordinary human exchange, something even those outside God's favor do.
Jesus has just delivered a radical teaching about loving enemies, moving beyond mere obligation. He now challenges his listeners by asking what merit there is in extending love only to those who reciprocate it, pointing out that even those outside God's favor act this way. This sets the stage for his call to a higher, divine standard of love that seeks no earthly reward.
Jesus has just delivered a radical teaching about loving enemies, moving beyond mere obligation. He now challenges his listeners by asking what merit there is in extending love only to those who reciprocate it, pointing out that even those outside God's favor act this way. This sets the stage for his call to a higher, divine standard of love that seeks no earthly reward.
"“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." — Jesus isn't just asking what reward you get; he's questioning the kind of thanks you receive. Loving only those who love you back isn't truly virtuous or pleasing to God; it's just ordinary human e…
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Last reviewed October 2026