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Love Your Enemies
…45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46Ifyou lovethosewho loveyou,whatrewardwill you get?Do noteventax collectorsdothesame?47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?…

Treasury of Scripture

For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same?

if.

Matthew 6:1
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Luke 6:32-35
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them…

1 Peter 2:20-23
For what gloryis it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and sufferfor it, ye take it patiently, thisis acceptable with God…

publicans.

Matthew 9:10,11
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples…

Matthew 11:19
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tellit unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

CollectorsCreditEarnedLovePublicansRewardTaxTax-FarmersTax-GatherersCollectorsCreditEarnedLovePublicansRewardTaxTax-FarmersTax-Gatherers1.Jesus' sermon on the mount:
3.The Beattitudes;
13.the salt of the earth;
14.the light of the world.
17.He came to fulfill the law.
21.What it is to kill;
27.to commit adultery;
33.to swear.
38.He exhorts to forgive wrong,
43.to love our enemies;
48.and to labor after perfection.

If you love those who love you,
This phrase challenges the common human tendency to reciprocate love only to those who show love in return. In the cultural context of Jesus' time, relationships were often transactional, with social norms emphasizing mutual benefit. Jesus calls His followers to a higher standard of love, one that mirrors God's unconditional love. This teaching aligns with the broader biblical theme of agape love, which is selfless and sacrificial, as seen in1 Corinthians 13.

what reward will you get?
The concept of reward here is not necessarily material or earthly but spiritual and eternal. Jesus often spoke of heavenly rewards, emphasizing that true discipleship involves seeking God's approval rather than human recognition. This echoes the teachings found inMatthew 6:1-4, where Jesus warns against performing righteous acts for the sake of public admiration.

Do not even tax collectors do the same?
Tax collectors in Jesus' time were often despised by the Jewish people because they worked for the Roman authorities and were known for their corruption and greed. By using tax collectors as an example, Jesus highlights that even those considered morally questionable can love those who love them. This comparison underscores the call for His followers to exceed the righteousness of the common societal norms, as seen inMatthew 5:20. The mention of tax collectors also foreshadows the transformative power of Jesus' ministry, as seen in the conversion of Matthew, a former tax collector, into one of His disciples.

1.Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, delivering the Sermon on the Mount, which is a foundational teaching of Christian ethics and behavior.

2.Disciples and Followers
The primary audience of the Sermon on the Mount, representing all who seek to follow Christ's teachings.

3.Tax Collectors
Often viewed negatively in Jewish society at the time, they were seen as traitors and sinners due to their collaboration with the Roman authorities and their reputation for dishonesty.The Call to Radical Love
Jesus challenges His followers to love beyond the natural human inclination to love only those who reciprocate. This radical love reflects the character of God and distinguishes believers from the world.

Understanding 'Reward'
The Greek word for "reward" (misthos) implies a recompense or wage. Jesus is teaching that the true reward comes from loving as God loves, not from human recognition or reciprocation.

The Example of Tax Collectors
By referencing tax collectors, Jesus highlights that even those considered morally questionable can love those who love them. Believers are called to a higher standard of love that mirrors God's unconditional love.

Practical Love in Action
Loving those who do not love us back requires intentionality and reliance on the Holy Spirit. It involves acts of kindness, forgiveness, and prayer for those who may oppose or harm us.

Reflecting God's Love
As Christians, our love should be a reflection of God's love, which is unconditional and sacrificial. This love serves as a testimony to the transformative power of the Gospel.1.What is the meaning of Matthew 5:46?

2.How does Matthew 5:46 challenge us to love beyond our comfort zone?

3.What distinguishes Christian love from the love of "tax collectors"?

4.How can we practically love those who do not love us back?

5.Which other Scriptures emphasize loving those outside our immediate circle?

6.How can we apply Matthew 5:46 in our daily interactions with others?

7.How does Matthew 5:46 challenge our understanding of love for others?

8.Why does Jesus emphasize loving those who do not love us back?

9.What historical context influences the message of Matthew 5:46?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 5?

11.What is the order of Jesus' disciples' calling?

12.Matthew 9:9: Is there any historical evidence that a tax collector named Matthew abruptly abandoned his profession to follow Jesus?

13.Jesus saw a man sitat the tax collectors office and called him to be his disciple. What was his name? Matthew (Matthew 9:9) Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27)

14.Proverbs 22:10: How do we reconcile the call to 'drive out the mocker' with the New Testament emphasis on love, forgiveness, and inclusion?If you love those who love you

Jesus begins with a scenario everyone understands—reciprocal affection.

• This is the easiest kind of love because it costs nothing; it simply mirrors what we receive.

•Luke 6:32 restates the point: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.”

• Natural affection stops far short of God’s standard. FirstJohn 4:19 reminds us, “We love because He first loved us”—His love reached us while we were still unlovely (Romans 5:8).

• By pointing out the obvious, Jesus exposes how shallow our love can be when driven only by mutual benefit.

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what reward will you get?

Jesus moves from description to evaluation.

• “Reward” speaks of the Father’s approval (Hebrews 11:6) and future commendation (1 Corinthians 3:14); it is never earned salvation but the gracious acknowledgment of faithful obedience (Matthew 6:1).

• If our love never rises above basic reciprocity, there is no unique evidence of God’s transforming grace—nothing for Him to reward.

• True kingdom love is sacrificial, directed even toward those who cannot or will not pay it back (Luke 14:12-14). Such love shines unmistakably as the work of the Spirit.

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Do not even tax collectors do the same?

To drive the lesson home, Jesus points to the despised tax collectors.

• In first-century Judea they were branded traitors and cheats (Matthew 9:10-11), yet even they could manage reciprocal kindness.

• If believers show only the love common to notorious sinners, we blend into the culture rather than stand apart (Romans 12:9-10).

• The gospel produces something radically different: love that pursues enemies (Matthew 5:44) and welcomes the unworthy, just as Christ welcomed Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:5-9).

• Such love verifies that we are “sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:45), a family resemblance the world cannot miss.

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summary

Matthew 5:46 confronts comfortable, consumer-style affection and calls us higher. Loving only those who love us is natural, unrewarded, and no better than the ethics of a corrupt tax collector. Kingdom citizens, empowered by Christ’s own sacrificial love, extend grace beyond reciprocity—an unmistakable witness the Father delights to reward.

(46)The publicans.--An account of the "publicans" of our Lord's time will find a more fitting place in the Notes onMatthew 9:9. Here, it may be remarked that our Lord puts Himself, as it were, on the level of those to whom He speaks. They despised the publicans as below them, almost as a Pariah caste, and He speaks, as if He were using their own familiar language, yet with a widely different application. Were they after all above the publicans, if they confined their love to a reciprocity of good offices?

Verse 46. - Vers. 46, 47; parallel passage:Luke 6:32, 33.For if, etc. The principle of the Law, reciprocity - love your neighbour and him only - is in reality no better than the principle adopted by those who are renegades to true religion (οἱ τελῶναι), or by those who have no knowledge of it (οἱ ἐθνικοί). Such a principle brings with it no other corresponding effect (μισθός, ver. 12, note) than such as even these receive. You aim at more, the privileges belonging to the sons of God; therefore do more.What reward have ye?i.e. already entered in God's book of account (Winer, § 40:2,a).The publicans; Revised Version margin, "That is,collectors or renters of Roman taxes: and so elsewhere." To this short description little need be added. The Roman system of taxation was to put up the country, or certain productions of the country, at auction, and to "sell" them to any who would undertake to pay the greatest amount of revenue from them (cf. also Josephus's account of the Egyptian method,B.C. 250, 'Ant.,' 12:04. 4; and Sayce's article in theJewish Quarterly, July, 1890, on a Jewish taxgatherer at Thebes,B.C. 140). This contract was in turn divided and subdivided, those who actually drew the money from the people being generally natives. It thus being the interest of every contractor and sub-contractor to squeeze as much as possible from those under him, the whole system was demoralizing to all engaged in it. In the case of Judaea it was especially so, as there was a strong feeling among religious Jews against the lawfulness of paying taxes to a Gentile ruler (cf.Matthew 22:17, note). It is no wonder, therefore, that we find the native collectors (even of districts where the money raised went to Antipas's treasury,Matthew 9:9, note) classed with "harlots" (Matthew 21:31), "sinners" (Matthew 9:11), the heathen (ver. 4:7;Matthew 18:17). Yet out of these one was chosen to be among the twelve, and to write that Gospel which specially describes the relation of Jesus of Nazareth to the religious expectations of the nation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


If
ἐὰν(ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437:If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

you love
ἀγαπήσητε(agapēsēte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 25:To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.

those
τοὺς(tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

who love
ἀγαπῶντας(agapōntas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 25:To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.

you,
ὑμᾶς(hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

what
τίνα(tina)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

reward
μισθὸν(misthon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3408:(a) pay, wages, salary, (b) reward, recompense, punishment. Apparently a primary word; pay for service, good or bad.

will you get?
ἔχετε(echete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192:To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

Do not
οὐχὶ(ouchi)
IntPrtcl
Strong's 3780:By no means, not at all. Intensive of ou; not indeed.

even
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

tax collectors
τελῶναι(telōnai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5057:A publican, collector of taxes. From telos and oneomai; a tax-farmer, i.e. Collector of public revenue.

do
ποιοῦσιν(poiousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4160:(a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

the
τὸ(to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

same?
αὐτὸ(auto)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love (Matt. Mat Mt)