Church Fathers Commentary Luke 6:32-36

"And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them. And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much. But love your enemies, and do [them] good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful." — Luke 6:32-36 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: The Lord had said that we must love our enemies. So that you would not think this was an exaggerated expression, spoken only to alarm them, He adds the reason, saying, For if you love those who love you, what thank have you? There are indeed several causes that produce love, but spiritual love exceeds them all. For nothing earthly produces it—not gain, kindness, nature, or time—but it descends from heaven.

Why wonder that it does not need kindness to be stirred up, when it is not even overcome by malice? A father who suffers wrong breaks the bonds of love. A wife, after a quarrel, leaves her husband. A son is troubled if he sees his father grow to a great age. But Paul went to those who stoned him to do them good. Moses was stoned by the Jews, and he prayed for them. Let us, then, reverence spiritual love, for it is unbreakable.

Therefore, reproving those who were inclined to grow cold, He adds, For sinners even love those who love them. It is as if He said, "Because I wish you to possess more than these, I do not advise you only to love your friends, but also your enemies." It is common for everyone to do good to those who do good to them. But He shows that He seeks something more than the custom of sinners, who do good to their friends. Hence it follows, And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thank have you?

The Venerable Bede: But He not only condemns the love and kindness of sinners as unprofitable, but also their lending. As it follows, And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now, philosophy seems to divide justice into three parts: one toward God, which is called piety; another toward our parents or the rest of humanity; and a third toward the dead, so that the proper rites may be performed. But the Lord Jesus, going beyond the oracle of the law and the heights of prophecy, extended the duties of piety also to those who have injured us, adding, But love your enemies.

St. John Chrysostom: By this, you will bestow more upon yourself than upon him, for he is loved by a fellow servant, but you are made like God. It is a mark of the greatest virtue when we embrace with kindness those who wish to do us harm. Hence it follows, And do good. For just as water extinguishes a lighted furnace when thrown upon it, so does reason when joined with gentleness. What water is to fire, humility and meekness are to wrath; and just as fire is not extinguished by fire, neither is anger soothed by anger.

Gregory of Nyssa: But a person ought to shun that destructive anxiety with which he seeks an increase of his money and gold from the poor, exacting a profit from barren metals. Hence He adds, And lend, hoping for nothing again. If someone were to call the harsh calculation of interest theft or homicide, he would not be mistaken. For what is the difference whether a person comes to possess property by digging under a wall, or possesses it unlawfully through the compulsory rate of interest?

St. Basil the Great: This form of avarice is rightly named in Greek from the word for "offspring," because of the fruitfulness of the evil. In the course of time, animals grow up and produce young, but interest begins to produce as soon as it is born. Animals that reproduce most rapidly also cease breeding the soonest, but the money of the avaricious goes on increasing with time. When animals transfer their reproduction to their own young, they themselves cease to breed; but the money of the covetous both produces an increase and renews the capital. Do not touch this destructive monster.

For what advantage is it to escape today's poverty if it falls upon us repeatedly and is increased? Reflect, then: how can you restore yourself? From where will your money be so multiplied that it will partly relieve your need, partly refresh your capital, and also produce interest? But you say, "How will I make a living?" I answer: work, serve, and as a last resort, beg. Anything is more tolerable than borrowing on interest.

But you ask, "What is this lending to which the hope of repayment is not attached?" Consider the excellence of the words, and you will admire the mercy of their Author. When you are about to give to a poor person out of divine charity, it is both a loan and a gift. It is a gift because no return is hoped for, but it is a loan because of the goodness of God, who repays it in turn. Hence it follows, And great shall be your reward. Do you not wish the Almighty to be obligated to repay you? If a rich citizen were to be your security, you would accept him; do you then reject God when He stands as security for the poor?

St. John Chrysostom: Observe the wonderful nature of this lending: one person receives, and another (God) binds Himself for the debt, giving a hundredfold in the present time and eternal life in the future.

St. Ambrose of Milan: How great is the reward of mercy, which is received into the privilege of divine adoption! For it follows, And you shall be the sons of the Highest. Follow mercy, then, so that you may obtain grace. The mercy of God is widespread: He pours His rain on the ungrateful, and the fruitful earth does not refuse its harvest to the wicked. Hence it follows, For he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil.

The Venerable Bede: This is done either by giving them temporal gifts or by inspiring them with His heavenly gifts through a wonderful grace.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Great, then, is the praise of mercy. For this virtue makes us like God and imprints on our souls certain signs, as it were, of a heavenly nature. Hence it follows, Be you then merciful, as your heavenly Father also is merciful.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: That is to say, in observing His mercies, we should do the good things we do not for the sake of men, but for Him, so that we may obtain our rewards from God, not from men.