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46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors[a] do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?[b] 48 So be perfect,[c] just as your heavenly Father is perfect.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5:46 Tax collectors: Jews who were engaged in the collection of indirect taxes such as tolls and customs. See note on Mk 2:14.
  2. 5:47 Jesus’ disciples must not be content with merely usual standards of conduct; see Mt 5:20 where the verb “surpass” (Greek perisseuō) is cognate with the unusual (perisson) of this verse.
  3. 5:48 Perfect: in the gospels this word occurs only in Matthew, here and in Mt 19:21. The Lucan parallel (Lk 6:36) demands that the disciples be merciful.

46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?(A) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(B)

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