King James Bible
"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?"
Jesus challenges the conventional practice of reciprocal love—showing affection only to those who return it. This sets up a contrast between natural human behavior and the higher standard of love He expects from His followers. The rhetorical question implies that loving only those who love back merits no divine reward or recognition. In the Sermon on the Mount context, Jesus consistently calls for righteousness that exceeds common morality to receive heavenly rewards. Tax collectors (publicans) were despised in Jewish society as traitors and sinners, yet even they practiced reciprocal kindness. By using this comparison, Jesus emphasizes that His disciples must surpass the moral standard of those considered the lowest in society.