If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?
Parallel translations
- WEB For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
- KJV For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
- NKJV For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
- NASB For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?
- NLT If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Loving only those who love you earns no reward, for even tax collectors do that. It shows that ordinary, reciprocal love is no mark of the kingdom.
Overview
Jesus exposes how shallow it is to love only those who return our love, a thing even the despised tax collectors manage. Kingdom righteousness must surpass this self-serving love. The disciple is called to a love that reflects God's grace rather than mere human reciprocity.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Luke 6:32–35If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
- 1 Pet 2:20–23How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
- Matt 9:10–11Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.
- Matt 11:19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”
- Matt 18:17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
- Luke 18:13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
- Luke 15:1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
- Matt 6:1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
- Matt 21:31–32Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
- Luke 19:7And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”
- Luke 19:2And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 5:46 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.