What does Luke 6:31 mean?

The "Golden Rule" applies the part of the Greatest Commandment which says to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). Love is more than kind feelings. It's a sacrificial concern for the well-being of others. We are to think about what we need and use that perspective as a basis for meeting the needs of others—even our enemies who persecute us for following Jesus (Luke 6:27). Jesus illustrates this more fully in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37).

Dr. Darryl Bock's New Testament Commentary Series on Luke gives a challenging application:

"In the modern world, this would mean not just protesting against abortion but being prepared to care for the child that is born to a mother who has chosen not to abort. More than this, we are called to continue to love militant pro-choice advocates who go ahead with their intention to abort."

Many other cultures have variations of the Golden Rule. Some, like the Sanskrit, Greek, Persian, and Hindu versions, reflect the negative or prohibitive form: "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you." Few take the positive form given by Jesus: to not merely avoid harming another but to actively work for their positive welfare.