Loving Those Who Only Love Us?
In essence, what Jesus is telling us is that if we only love those who love us back, then we are no better than those we consider to be our enemies. The Pharisees despised both publicans and Gentiles, yet, their behavior was basically the same as theirs in their regard for their enemies. So, how could they show their enemies that they were any different than they were? They couldn’t! Jesus, however, calls us to a higher standard: loving others as God loves us. He even loves those who don’t love Him back. That is the kind of love that we must show for others.