“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 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. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:32-36

There are certain people who are easy to love and then there are others who present a challenge, yet that is what Jesus asks us to do.

Christ gives three examples of loving, doing good and lending to others, but draws the distinction in the expectation. It is easy or at least easier to love those who love you. It is easy to do good to someone who may return the favor and you and I are generally willing to lend money to those who are willing and able to pay us back.

But what about loving those who don’t love you back? What about doing good for those who may actually intend harm for you? Would you lend knowing the other person had no intention of paying you back?

That’s why I bolded the sentence in the Scripture above. It’s hard for me as well, but I think we need to keep in mind that God is loving and patient and “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”