What does Luke 6:34 mean?
This verse adds context to Luke 6:30: "Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back." It is talking about the needy who take out loans to survive. The intended picture does not include thieves or the winners of lawsuits.The Bible is consistent on the responsibility of God's people to care for the poor. God allowed a form of servitude—vastly different from the "chattel slavery" associated with the American Civil War—as a means of ensuring the poor had a home and sufficient food. At the same time, He established laws to help the poor before they became slaves or sold themselves or family members into indentured servitude. For instance, if someone used their cloak for loan collateral, the lender could not keep it overnight in case it was the person's only source of warmth (Exodus 22:26–27). If someone needed a loan, the lender could not take the person's millstone. This was a common tool used in agriculture. To do so would almost guarantee the debtor couldn't work and the loan would never be repaid (Deuteronomy 24:6). Israelites were never to charge the poor interest (Exodus 22:25). And, of course, farmers were to only take one pass to harvest their crops and leave the edges of their fields unharvested so the poor could work for their bread (Leviticus 19:9–10).
Luke, a Gentile, illuminates the same idea from a different direction. He would have been aware of the Roman and Greek patronage system. A wealthy man—the patron—would do favors for others. The recipients of the favors would be available to the patron as needed, including introducing others who needed help from the patron. The patronage system is based on reciprocity. The patron gives a favor—often a loan but possibly protection—and the recipient pays him back in some way. Modern legal terminology calls this concept quid pro quo.
Jesus flips the patronage system on its head. He offers to pay our debt and gives us salvation for free. There is no way we can pay Him back. He expects His followers to follow His example and give without assurance of being repaid (Luke 6:36), promising that God will reward us "at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14). As Proverbs 19:17 says, "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed."
