Matthew 5:46

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Matthew 5:46 (KJV)

Context

In the preceding verses, Jesus addresses the common teaching to love one’s neighbor and hate one’s enemy, commanding His disciples instead to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, do good to those who hate them, and pray for those who persecute them. He explains that this is how His followers become children of their Father in heaven. Verse 46 then presses the point with a searching question: if you love only those who love you, what reward have you? Even the publicans—tax collectors despised as sinners and traitors—do the same.

Meaning

The Greek word translated “reward” (misthos) points to a reward from God, not merely human approval. Loving only those who love us is natural and easy; it is reciprocal affection, not the selfless love Jesus describes. Such love earns no heavenly commendation because it requires no grace. Jesus is not forbidding love for those who love us, but insisting that they cannot be the only objects of our love. His disciples must exceed the standard of the publicans, whose love was limited to those who benefited them.

Biblical connections

This teaching is paralleled in Luke 6:32, where Jesus asks, “For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.” The parallel reinforces that reciprocal love is common even among sinners. Verse 46 also sets up the following verse, Matthew 5:47, which extends the same principle to greeting only one’s brethren, and leads to the call in Matthew 5:48 to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. The standard is the Father Himself, who causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

Application

Jesus calls us to a love that goes beyond natural affection. We are to love even those who do not love us in return—enemies, those who mistreat us, and those who seem undeserving. This kind of love is selfless and reflects the character of God, who demonstrates His love to all people regardless of their response. When we love unconditionally, without expecting anything in return, we align ourselves with the values of God’s kingdom. The reward may not be immediate or tangible, but it includes personal growth, a closer relationship with God, and the transformation of our hearts to be more like Christ.

• Loving only those who love us is a limited form of love. Jesus calls us to a higher standard by loving even our enemies and those who mistreat us. By doing so, we reflect God’s love and mercy to the world and become true children of our heavenly Father.

Reflection

Consider your own circle of love. Is it limited to those who love you, or does it extend to those who oppose you? Jesus’ question challenges us to examine our motives and to seek the reward that comes from selfless, Godlike love.