Luke 6:35 calls followers of Jesus to love their enemies, do good to them, and lend without expecting anything in return. Jesus says this kind of generosity reflects the character of God, who is kind even to those who are ungrateful and wicked. He spoke these words in the Sermon on the Plain, addressed to his disciples and to the large crowd that had gathered around him.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
Luke 6:35 (WEB)
What Luke 6:35 Means
The verse begins with “love your enemies,” which is a deliberate step past ordinary friendliness. Jesus is not asking you to feel warm toward people who have harmed you. He is describing a settled commitment to seek their good in practical ways, the way you would act toward anyone you are called to care for. Loving here is a matter of action and choice before it is a matter of feeling.
“Do good” and “lend, expecting nothing back” give that love a shape. You are to be generous with your time, your resources, and your help, even when the person has not earned it and will never repay you. The verse does not promise that your enemy will become grateful or that the relationship will be repaired. It describes what you do, and it leaves the outcome in God’s hands.
The promise at the center of the verse is that “your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.” This reward is tied to becoming like God, not to a bargain in which good behavior buys favor. Jesus grounds the whole command in the Father’s own kindness toward the ungrateful and evil, so the reward is less a payment and more a share in the family likeness.
The Context of Luke 6:35
Luke’s Gospel was written to a largely Gentile audience, traditionally attributed to Luke the physician and companion of Paul. Within the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus is teaching what life in his kingdom looks like, and this passage marks a sharp contrast between ordinary reciprocity and the kind of love he expects from his disciples.
The verses just before this one (Luke 6:32-34) describe how even sinners love those who love them, do good to those who do good to them, and lend when they expect to be repaid. Jesus pushes past that common standard. The verses that follow move toward mercy, not judging, and generous giving. Read in that setting, Luke 6:35 is the hinge of the passage: it shows how mercy looks when it is no longer governed by what someone can give back.
Key Phrases in Luke 6:35
Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you…
(WEB)
In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus again calls his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Reading it alongside Luke 6:35 shows that the command to love enemies is a central part of Jesus’ teaching, given in more than one setting.
Romans 12:20
Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
(WEB)
Paul applies the principle of caring for an enemy to everyday acts, such as feeding a hungry enemy. This verse helps show what practical love for enemies can look like, and it echoes the call to do good that Jesus gives in Luke 6:35.
A Short Prayer From Luke 6:35
Father, you have been kind to me when I was ungrateful and far from you. Teach me to love the people who have hurt me and to do good to them, even when it costs me something. Free me from keeping score, and help me give without needing anything back. Let my life show that I belong to you. Amen.
