BURKITT : | Lu 6:1-5 | Lu 6:6-11 | Lu 6:12 | Lu 6:13-16 | Lu 6:17-19 | Lu 6:20 | Lu 6:21 | Lu 6:22-23 | Lu 6:24-25 | Lu 6:26 | Lu 6:27-29 | Lu 6:30 | Lu 6:31 | Lu 6:32-36 | Lu 6:37 | Lu 6:38 | Lu 6:39 | Lu 6:40 | Lu 6:41-42 | Lu 6:43-45 | Lu 6:46-49 | KJV
Reference
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 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. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:32-36 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
The design of our blessed Saviour in all and every one of these precepts is to recommend unto us all sorts and kinds of mercy and charity; namely, charity in giving, charity in forgiving, charity in lending; it is sometimes our duty (if we have ability) to lend to such poor persons as we cannot expect will ever be in a capacity, either to pay or to requite us. This is to imitate the Divine bounty, which does good to all, even to the unthankful and to the unholy.
Love for love is justice; love for no love, is favor and kindness; but love and charity, mercy and compassion, to all persons, even the undeserving and the ill-deservings, this is a divine goodness, a Christ-like temper, which will render us illustrious on earth, and glorious in heaven.
St. Luke says here, Be ye merciful, as your Father is merciful. St. Matthew says, Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect; Mt 5:48 implies that love and mercy, charity and compassion, is the perfection of a Christian’s graces; he that is made perfect in love is perfect in all divine graces; in the account of God.
Perfection in graces, but especially in love and charity, ought to be our aim in this life, and shall be our attainment in the next.