Matthew 5:46
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)
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Jesus isn't just saying it's nice to love everyone; he's pointing out that a love that only extends to those who love you back is actually pretty shallow—even notoriously bad people, like tax collectors, managed that level of reciprocity! This highlights that true, God-like love means going beyond self-interest and extending kindness even when it's not earned or expected.
Jesus is teaching about a higher standard of righteousness than the Pharisees practiced, contrasting his teachings with common interpretations of the Old Testament law. He's just challenged the idea of "an eye for an eye" and is now explaining that true love extends beyond one's own circle. The question about loving those who love you directly follows Jesus' command to love your enemies, highlighting how even the most despised people, like tax collectors, managed to reciprocate affection within their own circles.
What if the love you give only gets you what you deserve, rather than a divine reward? Jesus challenges the idea of 'love' as a transaction.
Jesus cuts through a common human tendency: reciprocity. He asks, 'If you only love those who love you, what's special about that?' (Matthew 5:46). The implication is that such 'love' isn't truly love but a business deal. You love them because they love you; you expect a return. This isn't a selfless act; it's self-serving, aimed at getting good back.
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Who is your 'neighbor'? The religious leaders of Jesus' day had a narrow view. Jesus radically expands it to include those you might least expect.
Jesus is redefining what it means to be a 'neighbor' and how we should treat them. The prevailing interpretation, which Jesus corrects, was that one only needed to love their 'neighbor' if that person was also a 'friend' or someone worthy of affection. This meant excluding enemies, outsiders, and the generally disliked from the circle of love.
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.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' teaching, asking the same rhetorical question about the reward for loving only those who love you, and pointing out that even 'sinners' (a term often used for those outside the religious establishment, like tax collectors) do this.
Romans 5:8This verse highlights God's love for us when we were still sinners, demonstrating the radical, undeserving nature of divine love that Jesus calls us to emulate, going beyond reciprocal affection.
1 Peter 1:15-16This passage directly echoes the call to holiness found in the broader context of Matthew 5:48, urging believers to 'be holy, because I am holy,' which includes the counter-cultural love for enemies that Matthew 5:46 addresses.
1 John 4:7-8This passage links love directly to knowing God, asserting that 'anyone who does not love does not know God,' emphasizing that genuine, selfless love is a fundamental characteristic of God Himself and His children.
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 nice to love everyone; he's pointing out that a love that only extends to those who love you back is actually pretty shallow—even notoriously bad people, like tax collectors, managed that level of reciprocity! This highlights that true, God-like love means going beyond self-interest and extending kindness even when it's not earned or expected.
Jesus is teaching about a higher standard of righteousness than the Pharisees practiced, contrasting his teachings with common interpretations of the Old Testament law. He's just challenged the idea of "an eye for an eye" and is now explaining that true love extends beyond one's own circle. The question about loving those who love you directly follows Jesus' command to love your enemies, highlighting how even the most despised people, like tax collectors, managed to reciprocate affection within their own circles.
Jesus is teaching about a higher standard of righteousness than the Pharisees practiced, contrasting his teachings with common interpretations of the Old Testament law. He's just challenged the idea of "an eye for an eye" and is now explaining that true love extends beyond one's own circle. The question about loving those who love you directly follows Jesus' command to love your enemies, highlighting how even the most despised people, like tax collectors, managed to reciprocate affection within their own circles.
"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 nice to love everyone; he's pointing out that a love that only extends to those who love you back is actually pretty shallow—even notoriously bad people, like tax collect…
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