Jesus's Most Ignored Command

There are some commands of Christ that we love to focus on and follow, like loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. There are some commands of Christ that we don't like to talk about but we know we have to obey, such as fasting and forgiving our neighbors. There are those commands of Christ that are spoken of often but are very difficult to put into practice, such as avoiding anger, lust, or hypocrisy. And then there are commands of Christ that go completely under the radar; they are neither talked about nor put into practice.

Luke 6:34-35 is one such command.

In context, Jesus is speaking on the topic of loving enemies and going above and beyond the love of unbelievers. He cites three specific ways in which Christ-followers are to love their enemies: loving those who do not love them (v.32), doing good to those who do not do good to them (v.33), and lending money to those who have no intention or ability to pay them back (vv.34-35).

It's that last part that is so often ignored. The parallel passage in Matthew 5:42 does not mention lending money without asking for anything in return; it simply tells us to be willing to lend to anyone. Luke's version is more specific and, in a way, more demanding. No doubt Luke had in mind the poor—who typically have no ability to pay back loans—as the poor are of special concern in the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 6:34-35 in Practice

In all my years of following Christ and being involved in Christian community, I have seen only a few instances of generous lending of personal finances. I was the beneficiary of some of those instances, and for those moments and to those people, I will forever be grateful. Every time I hear of a brother or sister in the Lord lending a generous sum to another brother or sister in need, I am blessed beyond words. It shows real faith, love, and sacrifice. It is literally putting their money where their mouth is (or, more appropriately, where their heart is).

“When it comes to personal finances, something in us insists on being paid back.”

But in all of those uncommon cases of personal lending, including the ones I was involved in, the arrangement was that the recipient would pay back the entire loan when they were able. Of course, no interest would be charged, for that would be a violation of the spirit of Scripture (Deut. 23:19-20). And in most cases, no hard deadline would be set either.

These are noble parameters, but according to Luke 6:34-35, they are not noble enough, especially when it comes to lending to brothers and sisters in Christ. The standard that Jesus sets for us is that we lend freely and generously and expect nothing in return. Then and only then will our "reward be great" and will we "be children of the Most High" (Luke 6:35).

“It's one thing to receive financial help from an organization. It's an entirely different thing to receive financial help from a friend or a neighbor.”

To clarify, I am not talking about love offerings and collections given from a group of people to an individual or to a family. In those cases, there is usually no expectation of anything being paid back. What I am talking about, and what I believe Jesus is talking about, is personal lending from one individual to another. For some reason, when we take a group offering or collection, we are fine with not being paid back. But when it comes to personal finances, something in us insists on being paid back.

The obvious explanation is that when it comes to our personal money, it touches on our sense of fairness, ownership, and pride. And those are precisely the things Jesus challenges in the passage.

Present-day Opportunities

In the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are suffering financial hardships due to lack of income or higher-than-normal medical expenses. At the same time, there are millions of middle class and richer folk who received stimulus payments from the government and have extra cash to add to their already plentiful savings.

For those of us who consider ourselves to be followers of Christ, my hope and prayer is that we would seek opportunities to give to those who are in need. We should give to churches, charities, and nonprofits who do good work. But we should also seek opportunities to give to someone personally because personal ministry is the most impactful ministry. It's one thing to receive financial help from an organization. It's an entirely different thing to receive financial help from a friend or a neighbor. The one receiving can see the love of Jesus in the eyes and the smile of the lender. That's what builds relationship and trust.

When we give, let's give expecting nothing in return, not even gratitude. And let no debt stand except the debt of love we owe to one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8).