⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?^(A) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(A)

³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?^(A) Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?^(B) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them,^(C) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children^(D) of the Most High,^(E) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep^(A)

15 Now the tax collectors^(B) and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”^(A)

¹¹ And that is what some of you were.^(A) But you were washed,^(B) you were sanctified,^(C) you were justified^(D) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.