Luke 6:30

6:27-36 These are hard lessons to flesh and blood. But if we are thoroughly grounded in the faith of Christ's love, this will make his commands easy to us. Every one that comes to him for washing in his blood, and knows the greatness of the mercy and the love there is in him, can say, in truth and sincerity, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Let us then aim to be merciful, even according to the mercy of our heavenly Father to us.

Every one Peculiar to Luke. Augustine remarks, "omni petenti, non omnia petenti; give to every one that asks, but not everything he asks." Asketh (αἰτοῦντι) See on Matthew 15:23. Compare Matthew 5:42. Ask again (ἀπαίτει) Only here and Luke 12:20. Used in medical language of diseases demanding or requiring certain treatment.

Luke 6:30 . Comp. Matthew 5:42 . Exegetically , the unconditional submission here required cannot to any extent be toned down by means of limitations mentally supplied (in opposition to Michaelis, Storr, Kuinoel, and others). The ethical relations already subsisting in each particular case determine what limitations must actually be made. Comp. the remark after Matthew 5:41 . παντί ] to every one . Exclude none, not even your enemy. But Augustine says appropriately: “ Omni petenti te tribue, non omnia petenti; ut id des, quod dare honeste et juste potes.” ἀπαίτει ] demand back what he has taken from thee. Herod. i. 3 : ἀπαιτέειν Ἑλένην , καὶ δίκας τῆς ἁρπαγῆς αἰτέειν .

Luke 6:30 . Lk. passes over Mt.’s instance of compulsory service ( Matthew 5:41 ), perhaps because it would require explanation, or was not a practical grievance for his readers, and goes on to the duty of generous giving, which is to be carried the length of cheerfully resigning what is taken from us by force.

Verse 30. - Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again . Here, again, it is clear that faithfully to cling to the literal interpretation would be utterly to ignore the true spirit of the Lord's words here, where he sets forth his sublime ideal of a charity which ignores its own rights and knows no limits to its self-sacrifice. Augustine quaintly suggests that in the words themselves will be found the limitation required. "'Give to every man,' but not everything ,' suggesting that in many cases a medicine for the hurt of the soul would better carry out the words of the Lord than the gift of material help for the needs of the body ('Serm.' 359.). But such ingenious exposition, after all, is needless. What the Lord inculcated here was that broad, unselfish generosity which acts as though it really believed those other beautiful words of Jesus, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Luke 6:30

30 . Give to every man that asketh of thee ] Literally, “ be giving implying a habit , not an instant act. Here again we have a broad, general principle of unselfishness and liberality safely left to the common sense of mankind, Deuteronomy 15:7-9 . The spirit of our Lord’s precept is now best fulfilled by not giving to every man that asks, because in the altered circumstances of the age such indiscriminate almsgiving would only be a check to industry, and a premium on imposture, degradation, and vice. By ‘giving,’ our Lord meant ‘conferring a boon;’ but mere careless giving now, so far from conferring a boon, perpetuates a curse and inflicts an injury. The spirit of the precept is large-handed but thoughtful charity. Love must sometimes violate the letter as the only possible way of observing the spirit ( Matthew 15:26 ; Matthew 20:23 ).

Matthew hath much the same passage, only he saith, Give to him that, &c., not to every man that asketh of thee; and for the latter clause, he hath, from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away , which seems more agreeing to the precept. Deu 15:8 . These precepts of our Saviour must be interpreted, not according to the strict sense of the words, as if every man were by them obliged, without regard to his own abilities, or the circumstances of the persons begging or asking of him, to give to every one that hath the confidence to ask of him; but as obliging us to liberality and charity according to our abilities, and the true needs and circumstances of our poor brethren, and in that order which God’s word hath directed us; first providing for our own families, then doing good to the household of faith, then also to others, as we are able, and see any of them true objects of our charity. Nor must the second part of the verse be interpreted, as if it were a restraint of Christians from pursuing of thieves or oppressors, but as a precept prohibiting us private revenge, or too great contending for little things, &c. See Poole on "Matthew 5:42" .