If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you ?…
Rome, January 25, 1992 Commentary of the Word of Life: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them (Lk. 6:32). This month’s Word of Life is taken from Luke’s gospel. It is part of a large section of Jesus’ sayings that corresponds to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. As we know, in this section Jesus describes the requirements of the kingdom of God and the characteristics of those who belong to it.The source and goal of these requirements is imitating our heavenly Father. In this verse Jesus calls his disciples to imitate God the Father in loving. If we want to be his children, we must love our neighbours in the way he does. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. The first and most significant characteristic of God the Father’s love is that it is absolutely free. It is totally