Luke 6:37

35 But ^alove your enemies, ^bdo good, and ^clend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and ^dyou will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

36 ^aTherefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Do Not Judge

37 ^a“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. ^bForgive, and you will be forgiven.

38 ^aGive, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your ^bbosom. For ^cwith the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

39 And He spoke a parable to them: ^a“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

40 ^aA disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

41 ^aAnd why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?

42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

43 ^a“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

44 For ^aevery tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

45 ^aA good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil¹ treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out ^bof the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build on the Rock

46 ^a“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

47 ^aWhoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:

48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was¹ founded on the rock.

49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it¹ fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
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What Does Luke 6:37 Mean?

Luke 6:27-38

Jesus emphasizes giving, not just to those who love us, but also those who hate us, curse us, despise us, and persecute us.

Jesus is letting us know that godly giving contains an element that separates it from the common sorts of charity. We know this as agape love—a kind of love that can be done without emotion, if need be. It is a kind of love that does for another what is truly best for that person rather than what will make that person happy. It is a love that looks beyond present circumstances toward the ultimate realization of the act, primarily toward the effect of our own behavior.

It is not just a love that, out of concern, gives to somebody to plug a gap and that only. It is a type of love done with a great deal of thought, in which a person thinks through the effects and consequences of his actions to their ultimate end. Therefore, the result is that he does good for the other person whether that person likes it or not.

Of course, God would want us to do these acts of agape love with a great deal of feeling out of true concern. So, it should not be a cold love. But, if necessary, it can be.

It is a love with which one must be very careful. If we read between the lines here in Luke 6, we can see that Jesus is aiming for the Kingdom of God, not for somebody's temporary help. Why would one do good to those that hate him or to someone who curses him or persecutes him unless there was an ultimate, good end for that other person?

A person who performs an act of agape love makes a witness so that in the end it will come to the other's mind in the resurrection—it might take that long—and help to convert him. It will make a stunning impact on that person's mind that this was a Christian practicing love and true good works.

Jesus mentions that in godly giving there is greater merit when there is no hope of repayment or even of gratitude because it is done selflessly. There is nothing coming back to pay or repay one for his sacrifice or gift. He is quick to say, "Look, if you do it this way, there are good returns! There are rewards!" But going into it, a Christian must not have those things in mind.

Godly living is done without respect of persons. It is done in mercy, love, and kindness, as He says in the Golden Rule, just as we would like to be treated. It is done without condemnation and thus done out of a pure heart that truly desires the other's well-being.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
"If I Have Not Charity"

Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Luke 6:37:

Leviticus 5:15-16
Matthew 7:1-5
James 2:12-13

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Luke 6:38 >>

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Do Not Judge

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

Build on the Rock

What Does Luke 6:37 Mean?

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning