Matthew 5:46 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

NIV: If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

NASB: For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?

CSB: For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors 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.

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

NKJV: For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Jesus has commanded His disciples to love their enemies and to demonstrate that love, in part, by praying even for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:43–45). This is the level of righteousness God desires from those who want to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:48). If that seems like an impossible standard, it is: part of the gospel message is that no person's good deeds can ever earn eternal salvation (Romans 3:10; Titus 3:5).

Even from a worldly, unspiritual perspective, everyone loves the people who love them. Nobody gets a reward for that in the kingdom of God. It's easy, and it requires nothing. Jesus says this is so easy that even "tax collectors" do it.

The apostle Matthew is writing this story of Jesus' life, and he was a tax collector for the Romans before Jesus called him (Matthew 9:9). These men gathered taxes, ultimately for the Roman occupiers. That, alone, made them hated among their Jewish brothers, who saw them as collaborators and traitors. The job also lent itself to deep corruption: as employees of the Roman government, tax collectors often lined their own pockets by collecting more than was actually due. Such men became wealthy at the expense of their fellow citizens.

Jesus' declaration that "even tax collectors" can love those who love them was meant as a challenge. Tax collectors were associated with a lack of integrity, poor morals, and no loyalty. Even "those people" find it easy to love family and close friends. Loving your enemies, though, requires imitation of God Himself since it is such an unnatural thing for human beings to do.

Matthew 5:43–48 continues Jesus' teaching on love and humility, a part of the Sermon on the Mount. After commanding believers not to seek revenge in the face of insults, Jesus expands the idea of love to include one's enemies. Human beings naturally struggle with the idea of passively accepting persecution. We naturally recoil at the idea of expressing active love—in our deeds, not necessarily in our emotions—for those who hate and attack us. However, loving those who love you is easy; God's standards are higher.

The Sermon on the Mount contains some of Jesus' most challenging teaching. It begins with the unlikely blessings of the Beatitudes. Jesus' disciples must do good works in order to be a powerful influence: as the salt of the earth and light of the world. The superficial righteousness of the Pharisees is not good enough to earn heaven. Sins of the heart, such as angry insults and intentional lust, are worthy of hell just as much as adultery and murder. Easy divorce and deceptive oaths are forbidden. Believers should not seek revenge. Instead, God intends us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. In short, we should strive to be perfect, as God is perfect.

Matthew 5 follows Matthew's description of the enormous crowds that were following Jesus (Matthew 4:25). One day, Jesus sits down on a hill to teach them, in an address we now call the Sermon on the Mount. He describes as blessed those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, and who are persecuted. Christ also explains how God's standards of righteousness go far beyond behaviors and speech; they also include our thoughts and attitudes. Meeting God's standards means perfection. Chapter 6 continues this sermon, with more examples of Jesus clarifying God's intent for godly living.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.