Jesus isn't just saying that lending for profit is no big deal; he's highlighting that the motivation behind the loan is everything. When our "generosity" is just a business transaction—loaning money with the clear expectation of getting it back plus more—we're acting no differently than the "sinners" who only look out for their own gain.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just called His followers to love their enemies and to do good without expecting anything in return, directly contrasting this with how the world operates. This verse highlights that ordinary, ungodly people already practice lending with the expectation of repayment, showing that such transactional kindness offers no special credit to those who do it. Jesus is pushing His disciples beyond mere social courtesy to a radical, selfless generosity that mirrors God's own abundant goodness.
Jesus points out that lending with the expectation of getting it all back is hardly a stretch, even for 'sinners.' What does this reveal about the motivation behind our giving?
Jesus isn't just talking about financial transactions here; He's dissecting the heart behind our actions.
The 'Sinners' Way'
When Jesus says 'sinners also lend to sinners, to get back the same amount,' He's highlighting a purely transactional relationship. It's a business deal, not an act of selfless love. There's no risk, no sacrifice, and therefore, no real 'credit' or thanks due. It’s just a balanced ledger.
The Christian Difference
For followers of Jesus, the call is to go beyond this kind of self-serving exchange. True generosity, or charity as the ancient texts sometimes frame it, is about giving without calculating the return. It’s about meeting a need, even if there’s no personal benefit, or even a potential loss. This isn't about being foolish or a 'prodigal,' but about reflecting God’s own generous nature.
Why does Jesus contrast conditional giving with the actions of 'sinners'? It’s a challenge to examine if our kindness is truly motivated by love or by a desire for something in return.
Jesus is drawing a clear line between earthly relationships and the kind of love God calls us to.
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The Common Exchange
In the world, relationships are often built on mutual benefit. We help someone because we know they’ll help us later. We lend to someone who owes us, expecting to be repaid. This is a 'mercenary regard,' as one commentator put it – a relationship based on what you can get out of it.
God's Unconditional Love
Jesus calls His followers to a higher standard, mirroring God’s own love. God, He says, 'makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.' His goodness isn't earned; it’s given freely. This is the model for our own generosity. It’s not about rewarding those who already favor us, but about extending kindness without expecting anything in return, thereby reflecting the character of our heavenly Father.
Understand the original words
echthros · Greek Noun
One who is hostile, actively opposing, or standing in contradiction to another; in a biblical context, it refers to those who show animosity toward followers of Christ.
misthos · Greek Noun
A recompense or divine compensation; in this context, it refers to the spiritual blessing or inheritance bestowed by God upon those who obey Him.
huios · Greek Noun
A relational status indicating one who acts like or represents the character of God, participating in His nature through divine adoption and sanctification.
hypsistos · Greek Adjective
A designation for God emphasizing His transcendence, sovereignty, and supreme authority over all creation.
ponēros · Greek Adjective
A state of moral and spiritual deficiency characterized by malice, wickedness, or active hostility toward that which is holy and good.
chrēstos · Greek Adjective
A quality of grace and gentleness reflecting God's disposition; it describes one who is useful, mild, or benign in their treatment of others.
Jesus teaches His followers to 'give to the one who asks' and, in a parallel passage in Matthew, contrasts this with the common practice of helping only those who help you back, mirroring Luke's point about lending expecting repayment.
Matthew 5:46This verse directly asks, 'If you love only those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do that?' highlighting the same principle that transactional kindness is common and earns no special credit from God.
Luke 6:35This verse immediately follows, instructing believers to 'lend, expecting nothing in return,' which is the practical application and fuller explanation of the principle Luke raises in verse 34.
Colossians 3:17This passage speaks to doing everything 'in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him,' which implies that all our actions, especially acts of kindness, should be motivated by our relationship with God, not by expected human reciprocity.
1 John 3:17The apostle John writes, 'If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?' This connects the idea of genuine love with selfless action, even when there's no material return.
calvinLuke 6:34-35: "And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again."
- If you shall lend to those from whom you hope that you will receive, what kindness will it be in you? for sinners also lend to sinners, that they may receive the like. 35. Lend ye, expecting nothing again, and your reward shall be great.
Matthew 5:42. Give to him that asketh of thee. Though the words of Christ, which are related by Matthew, appe…
clarkeLuke 6:34: "And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again."
Of whom ye hope to receive - Or, whom ye expect to return it. "To make our neighbor purchase, in any way, the assistance which we give him, is to profit by his misery; and, by laying him under obligations which we expect him in some way or other to discharge, we increase his wretchedness under the pretense of relieving it."
Jesus isn't just saying that lending for profit is no big deal; he's highlighting that the motivation behind the loan is everything. When our "generosity" is just a business transaction—loaning money with the clear expectation of getting it back plus more—we're acting no differently than the "sinners" who only look out for their own gain.
Jesus has just called His followers to love their enemies and to do good without expecting anything in return, directly contrasting this with how the world operates. This verse highlights that ordinary, ungodly people already practice lending with the expectation of repayment, showing that such transactional kindness offers no special credit to those who do it. Jesus is pushing His disciples beyond mere social courtesy to a radical, selfless generosity that mirrors God's own abundant goodness.
Jesus has just called His followers to love their enemies and to do good without expecting anything in return, directly contrasting this with how the world operates. This verse highlights that ordinary, ungodly people already practice lending with the expectation of repayment, showing that such transactional kindness offers no special credit to those who do it. Jesus is pushing His disciples beyond mere social courtesy to a radical, selfless generosity that mirrors God's own abundant goodness.
"And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward wil…" — Jesus isn't just saying that lending for profit is no big deal; he's highlighting that the motivation behind the loan is everything. When our "generosity" is just a business transaction—loaning mon…
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Last reviewed October 2026
