For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just saying it's good to love enemies; he's pointing out that loving only those who love you is a basic, transactional behavior, something even the most despised people like tax collectors already do. This reveals that mere reciprocity isn't a badge of honor or a sign of spiritual progress, but the absolute minimum baseline for human interaction.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining that true righteousness goes beyond the superficial obedience of the scribes and Pharisees. He has just commanded his followers to love their enemies, a radical departure from the common understanding of the law. This verse questions the value of merely reciprocating love, pointing out that even those considered outcasts, like tax collectors, do this much.
What's the point of doing good if you only get good back? Jesus challenges the very foundation of our motivations for kindness.
Jesus asks a provocative question: 'If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?' He's not saying we shouldn't love people who are kind to us. That's natural, even expected. But when our love is only for those who benefit us or reciprocate, it lacks a deeper spiritual dimension.
Think of it this way: if you only give a gift to someone who you know will give you an equally valuable gift back, are you being generous, or are you making a transaction? Jesus is pointing out that this kind of 'love' is transactional. It's about what we get out of it, not about genuine, selfless affection. The 'reward' in this case is simply the return favor, something that doesn't earn you any special praise or favor from God.
Jesus compares his followers to one of the most despised groups in society. Why would he do that?
Jesus drops a bombshell by asking, 'Do not even the tax collectors do the same?' The tax collectors, or 'publicans,' were deeply reviled by the Jewish people. They worked for the Roman oppressors, collecting taxes that were often seen as a symbol of subjugation. They were often viewed as greedy, corrupt, and traitors to their own people.
By using them as an example, Jesus is making a powerful point: if the most 'undesirable' people in society can manage to show basic kindness or reciprocity to those who are kind to them, then it’s hardly a spiritual achievement for followers of God to do the same. He's holding up a mirror, showing that a love confined only to friends and allies is no different than the self-serving behavior of those considered outside the bounds of respectable society.
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Jesus isn't changing the rules; he's revealing the true heart behind God's ancient commands.
The teaching on loving enemies, encapsulated in this verse, isn't a new law but a fulfillment of the Old Testament's spirit. The Scribes and Pharisees had narrowed the definition of 'neighbor' to mean only those who were worthy or friendly. Jesus corrects this, reminding them that the law to love your neighbor was always meant to encompass everyone, reflecting God's own character.
God, Jesus explains, makes His sun shine and His rain fall on everyone, the good and the bad. This universal goodness is the standard. When we love only those who love us, we are acting on a human, conditional level. But when we extend love to those who don't deserve it, or even actively oppose us, we are reflecting the divine, unconditional love of our Heavenly Father. This is the perfection Jesus calls us to – not flawlessness, but a resemblance to God's boundless mercy and grace.
Understand the original words
agapaō · Greek Verb
To have a self-sacrificial, volitional love that seeks the highest good of another, modeled after God's love for humanity.
misthos · Greek Noun
Recompense or wages, often used in Scripture to refer to the eternal or spiritual compensation God grants for faithful service and obedience.
telōnēs · Greek Noun
Individuals hired by the Roman government to collect taxes, often despised by fellow Jews for their perceived collaboration with Rome and frequent dishonesty.
c. 150 BC - AD 70
Roman Rule in Judea
Judea was under varying degrees of Roman control, imposing taxes and demanding loyalty. This foreign occupation was a source of deep resentment for many Jews.
1st Century AD— this verse
Publicans as Tax Collectors
Publicans, or tax collectors, were employed by the Romans to gather revenue. Because they collected taxes for an oppressive foreign power and were often seen as corrupt and greedy, they were deeply despised by the Jewish people.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee, teaching, healing, and challenging the religious and social norms of the time, including the prevailing views on love and righteousness.
This passage directly echoes Matthew 5:46, asking the same rhetorical question about the 'reward' for loving only those who love you, highlighting that even 'sinners' do the same.
Luke 6:35This verse immediately follows the parallel to Matthew 5:46 in Luke and commands us to 'love your enemies' and 'lend, expecting nothing in return,' which is the core principle Jesus is driving at in Matthew.
1 Peter 1:15Peter calls believers to be 'holy in all their conduct' because God is holy, directly aligning with Jesus' call in Matthew 5:48 to be 'perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,' by extending love beyond reciprocal relationships.
Romans 5:8This verse powerfully illustrates the selfless love Jesus calls for by stating that God demonstrated His own love for us by Christ dying for us 'while we were still sinners,' showing love not based on our merit or prior affection.
barnesMatthew 5:46: "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?"
What reward have ye? - The word "reward" seems to be used in the sense of "deserving of praise." If you only love those that love you, you are selfish; it is not genuine love for the "character," but love for the "benefit," and you deserve no commendation. The very "publicans" would do the same. The publicans - The publicans were tax-gatherers. Judea was a province of the Roman empire. T…
calvinMatthew 5:43-48: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy."
- Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love they neighbor, and thou shalt hate thy enemy. 44. But I say to you, Love your enemies: bless those who curse you: do good to those that hate you: and pray for those who injure and persecute you: 45. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth ra…
Jesus isn't just saying it's good to love enemies; he's pointing out that loving only those who love you is a basic, transactional behavior, something even the most despised people like tax collectors already do. This reveals that mere reciprocity isn't a badge of honor or a sign of spiritual progress, but the absolute minimum baseline for human interaction.
Jesus is explaining that true righteousness goes beyond the superficial obedience of the scribes and Pharisees. He has just commanded his followers to love their enemies, a radical departure from the common understanding of the law. This verse questions the value of merely reciprocating love, pointing out that even those considered outcasts, like tax collectors, do this much.
Jesus is explaining that true righteousness goes beyond the superficial obedience of the scribes and Pharisees. He has just commanded his followers to love their enemies, a radical departure from the common understanding of the law. This verse questions the value of merely reciprocating love, pointing out that even those considered outcasts, like tax collectors, do this much.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" — Jesus isn't just saying it's good to love enemies; he's pointing out that loving only those who love you is a basic, transactional behavior, something even the most despised people like tax collect…
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Last reviewed October 2026