For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans 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?
- BSB If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do 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 6:32–35For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
- 1 Pet 2:20–23For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
- Matt 9:10–11And 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.
- Matt 11:19The 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.
- Matt 18:17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
- Luke 18:13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
- Luke 15:1Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
- Matt 6:1Take 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.
- Matt 21:31–32Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
- Luke 19:7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
- Luke 19:2And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
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
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