Matthew 5:43-48

Contemporary English Version

Love

(Luke 6.27,28,32-36)

⁴³^(A) You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” ⁴⁴But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵^(B) Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. ⁴⁶If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors^[a] love their friends. ⁴⁷If you greet only your friends, what's so great about this? Don't even unbelievers do that? ⁴⁸^(C) But you must always act like your Father in heaven.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

5.46 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.