Luke 6:32

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Luke 6:32 (KJV)

Context

Luke 6:32 is part of the Sermon on the Plain, where Jesus teaches His disciples and a large crowd about the principles of God’s Kingdom. He challenges His followers to live by a standard that goes beyond the common practices of the world around them.

Meaning

Jesus points out that loving those who already love you is not an extraordinary act, because even sinners do the same. The Greek word translated “thank” (charis) can also mean “grace” or “credit.” His question, “what thank have ye?” implies that such reciprocal love earns no special favor or reward from God. It is simply the natural human response.

This verse does not condemn natural affection. Instead, it uses that affection as a baseline to show that Kingdom love must go further. The focus is on the motive and the object of love, not merely on the feeling itself. True Christian love is sacrificial and unconditional, not based on mutual affection or personal preference.

Biblical connections

This teaching mirrors the parallel in Matthew 5:46, where Jesus asks what reward there is for loving only those who love you. The following verses in Luke 6:33-35 expand the call: do good to those who do good to you, lend without expecting return, and ultimately love your enemies. The standard is the character of God, who is kind to the ungrateful and evil.

Application

Luke 6:32 encourages Christians to examine their motives and extend love to those who may be difficult to love, including enemies and those who mistreat them. By doing so, believers reflect the unconditional love that God has shown to all people.

Reflection

Consider your own relationships. Do you love only those who love you back, or are you willing to love as Christ loves? The call is not to feel warm toward everyone, but to act in love toward others because God first loved us.