Luke 6:32-37: a reflection

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If 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. 35But 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. 36“Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. 37Don’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.

Jesus calls his followers to a love and generosity that goes far beyond the reciprocal. If you love those who love you, he says, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. To love only those who love us, to do good only to those who do good to us, is nothing remarkable; even sinners do that. But to love our enemies, to give expecting nothing in return, to be merciful as our Father is merciful, kind even to the ungrateful and evil, this is the love Jesus calls us to.

Notice the love Jesus calls for: one that goes beyond returning good for good. The love that only returns what it receives, loving those who love us, doing good to those who do good to us, is common, even among sinners; it asks nothing beyond the natural give and take. But Jesus calls for a love that goes beyond this: loving enemies, giving expecting nothing back, being merciful as God is merciful, who is kind even to the unthankful and evil. This love does not merely reciprocate; it gives freely, even to those who cannot or will not return it, reflecting the mercy of God himself.

That love is worth aspiring to, for it is the love that reflects God, who is kind even to the ungrateful. We can rest in the reciprocal love that returns good for good, loving those who love us; but Jesus calls us higher, to a love that gives freely even to enemies, expecting nothing back, merciful as our Father is merciful. Do not content yourself with loving only those who love you, doing good only to those who do good to you; love beyond the reciprocal, doing good to enemies, giving expecting nothing, being merciful as God is merciful. Aspire to the love that reflects God, kind even to the unthankful and evil, giving freely without expecting return, as Jesus calls us to love our enemies and be merciful as our Father is merciful; for this love, going beyond the reciprocal, reflects the God who is kind to the ungrateful, and is the love Christ calls his followers to.

Lord Jesus, you call your followers to a love and generosity that goes far beyond the reciprocal. If you love those who love you, you say, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. To love only those who love us is nothing remarkable; even sinners do that. But to love our enemies, to give expecting nothing in return, to be merciful as our Father is merciful, kind even to the ungrateful and evil, this is the love you call us to. Show me the love you call for: one that goes beyond returning good for good. The love that only returns what it receives is common, even among sinners. But you call for a love that goes beyond this: loving enemies, giving expecting nothing back, being merciful as God is merciful. This love does not merely reciprocate; it gives freely, even to those who cannot or will not return it. Let me aspire to that love, for it is the love that reflects God, who is kind even to the ungrateful. I can rest in the reciprocal love that returns good for good; but you call me higher. Keep me from contenting myself with loving only those who love me; help me love beyond the reciprocal, doing good to enemies, giving expecting nothing, being merciful as God is merciful. Help me aspire to the love that reflects you, Lord, kind even to the unthankful, giving freely without expecting return.