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 children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke connects loving enemies with being like God—because God loves the ungrateful and wicked.
There's no payoff system here. God doesn't only love people who are grateful or righteous. God's love is indiscriminate. And we're invited to the same posture. I struggle with this because I want fairness. I want to give to people who will appreciate it. Jesus is saying: don't wait for that. Give to those who won't appreciate it. Love those who won't love you back. That's what makes you like God. It's not efficient. It's not practical. But it reflects the actual logic of grace.
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