Luke 6:35
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
The climax of Jesus' teaching on loving enemies in the Sermon on the Plain, grounding the command in the character of God, who is kind even to the ungrateful.
What Does Luke 6:35 Mean?
Jesus returns to His command to love enemies and adds a profound reason for it: doing so makes us like God Himself. He calls His followers to love, do good, and lend without expecting anything in return. This kind of selfless generosity, given freely with no thought of repayment, sets Jesus' disciples apart from the ordinary give-and-take of the world.
The promise attached is twofold. First, "your reward shall be great" -- though we are not to give in order to be repaid by people, God Himself sees and rewards such love. Second, and more profound, "ye shall be the children of the Highest." To love this way is to act according to the very nature of God, who, Jesus says, "is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." God does not limit His kindness to those who deserve it or thank Him for it; He pours out goodness even on the ungrateful and the wicked. When we love our enemies and give without expecting return, we reflect this divine kindness and show ourselves to be His children. This is the high calling of discipleship: not merely to behave well, but to take on the family likeness of God, whose generosity knows no bounds and whose kindness reaches even those who have earned none.
In the Original Language
The word misthos means "reward, wages." Calling disciples huioi tou Hypsistou (children of the Highest) ties their conduct to God's own chrestos -- kind, gracious -- nature.
Cross References
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
- Matthew 5:45
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,”
- Luke 6:27
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Romans 5:8
Application
Give and love without expecting repayment, reflecting the boundless kindness of God toward even the ungrateful.