For if ye love them which love you
That is, if ye only love such that love you; for that such who
love should be loved again, is both natural and just: our Lord's
meaning is not, that ye ought not to love them that love you, but
that these should not be the only objects of your love; for
should this be the case,
what reward have ye?
or "shall ye have?" Do you deserve any thanks for your love now?
none at all, it is what you are obliged to by your friend's love
to you. Do you expect any hereafter with God? if you do, you will
be mistaken; you have your reward with men, who have loved you as
much as you have done them, and therefore none can be due to you,
either from God or men: besides,
do not even the publicans the same?
men of the worst characters, and who were most hateful to the
Jews, upon many accounts; partly because of their business, which
was to collect the Roman tax, and carry it to the proper officers
appointed to receive it, and of whom they sometimes farmed it.
Now the Roman yoke was very grievous to the Jews, who boasted of
their being a free people; nor did they willingly pay their
tribute money; and some of them would refuse to do it, under a
pretence of religion; wherefore those publicans, or tax
gatherers, which were oftentimes men of their own nation, as
appears from the instances of Levi and Zacchaeus, were very
odious to them; because they looked upon them as joining with the
Romans, in oppressing them, and abridging them in their liberty:
and partly because of their character and conduct, being men of
great improbity, rapine, and covetousness: hence, as in the New
Testament, they are frequently joined with "sinners", as being
notorious ones themselves; so in the Talmudic writings, with
thieves F1, and are reckoned as thieves, with
murderers, and robbers F2; they were not allowed as witnesses
F3 in any of their courts of
judicature; nor were they to be kept company F4 with in
private houses. Now our Lord instances in these men who were the
most profligate part of the nation, and had in greatest contempt
by the rest; and yet these, by the very dictates of nature, loved
such as loved them: wherefore it must be shameful and scandalous
in the Pharisees, and others, who pretended to great sanctity and
religion, to do no more than these persons did.