Meaning of Luke 6:32

This verse from Luke's Gospel challenges the superficiality of human affection, contrasting it with the radical and unconditional love commanded by God. Jesus is presenting a core principle of the Kingdom of God, which is characterized by a love that extends beyond reciprocal relationships and social conventions. The act of loving only those who love you in return is presented as a common, even base, instinct shared by all people, including those who do not follow God. Therefore, such selective affection offers no unique merit or spiritual distinction. True righteousness, as taught by Jesus, involves a self-giving love that transcends the boundaries of personal benefit and societal expectation, mirroring the generous and inclusive love of God.

Context and Background

Luke 6:32 is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49), a significant discourse where Jesus outlines the ethics and principles of life in God's Kingdom. This sermon is parallel to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel. Immediately preceding this verse, Jesus has delivered the Beatitudes, contrasting the blessedness of the poor, hungry, weeping, and hated with the woes for the rich, full, laughing, and well-spoken-of. Following this, he commands his disciples to "love your enemies, do good to them, and lend, expecting nothing in return" (Luke 6:35). The verse in question serves as a transitional statement, highlighting the inadequacy of ordinary human love to establish the standard for discipleship.

Key Themes and Messages

• Unconditional Love: The central theme is the call to a love that is not contingent on receiving something in return.
• Distinction of Discipleship: Jesus emphasizes that the love demonstrated by his followers should be qualitatively different from the love practiced by the "world" or "sinners."
• The Nature of Human Affection: The verse acknowledges that reciprocating love is a natural human inclination, but it is not the divine standard.
• Ethical Superiority of God's Kingdom: The principles of the Kingdom are presented as being higher and more challenging than conventional morality.

Spiritual Significance and Application

This verse calls believers to a higher standard of love, one that mirrors God's own character. It challenges us to examine the motivations behind our affections. Are we loving primarily for personal gain, social acceptance, or out of a genuine desire to reflect God's grace? The application involves actively extending kindness, grace, and compassion to those who may not reciprocate, who may have wronged us, or who are outside our immediate social circles. This is not about naive sentimentality but about a deliberate, Christ-like practice of love that seeks the good of the other, regardless of their response. It's about breaking down barriers and demonstrating the transformative power of God's love through our actions.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

The concept of unconditional love is woven throughout Scripture. God's covenant love for Israel, despite their failings, is a prime example. The sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, who died for humanity while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), epitomizes this principle. The Old Testament Law commanded love for one's neighbor, and Jesus expands this to include enemies. The New Testament epistles frequently echo this teaching, urging believers to love one another as Christ loved the church and to extend this love to all people.

Analogies

• A Bank Account: Loving only those who love you is like only depositing money into your account when someone else first deposits into yours. It's a transactional relationship, not one of genuine generosity.
• A Gardener: A gardener who only waters the plants that are already thriving and blooming would have a very limited and unfulfilling garden. True gardening involves nurturing even the struggling plants, understanding that growth requires effort and care beyond the easily observable.
• A Parent's Love: While not a perfect analogy, a parent's love for their child is often unconditional, even when the child is difficult or unappreciative. This reflects a love that gives freely.

Relation to Other Verses

• Matthew 5:46: "For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" This is the parallel passage in Matthew, reinforcing the same point.
• Luke 6:35: "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be called children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." This verse immediately follows and provides the positive command that Luke 6:32 implicitly contrasts.
• John 13:34-35: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Jesus' new commandment emphasizes a love that is modeled after his own, which is inherently unconditional and self-sacrificial.
• Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This verse highlights the ultimate example of God's unconditional love, providing the theological basis for Jesus' teaching.