Luke 6:30

Give to every man that asketh of thee. Not only if lie is in want of the necessaries of life, but if he needs counsel, advice, or aid of any kind, for thus ye will be showing mercy and pity both to the souls and bodies of your fellow men. See S. Matthew 5:42. S. Luke here adds the words "to every man," which S. Matt. omits, from which we are to understand that we are to give as far us we honestly and rightly can to every one that asketh, but not to one that asketh for anything or everything. For a man may ask us to give him money for a wrongful purpose, or even to commit actual sin. Hence we are only bound to give that which, as far as we know, will neither be hurtful to ourselves or to him that receiveth the gift: and in case we refuse to give, we must justify our refusal, so that he who asks may not go discontented away.

To every one therefore that asketh of thee, give not always that which he asks, but oftentimes that which is better a denial if the request is one which we can show that it would be wrong to comply with. S. Augustine.

And of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again, neither by power of law or in any other way, as S. Augustine explains. Which is a command, in the case of one who, under pressure of want, has despoiled thee, but is otherwise a counsel. So we read, "Ye exact all your labours," Isaiah 58:3.

And again in the parable, the unmerciful servant, because he had no pity, was delivered to the tormentors until he should pay all the debt which had been forgiven him. S. Matt. xviii. So Spiridion, and many hermits of old, gave up to the owners the sheep which they had stolen. Ver. 34. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive (a like benefit), what thank have ye?" For this is not kindness but commerce, the exchange of kindness for kindness. Ye give for what ye hope to receive, not for love of God; and thus the hope of a return of the benefit conferred deprives the act of the favour of God. Interlinear Gloss. Ver. 35. Lend, hoping for nothing again. "From men," adds the Syriac, "that you may receive your reward of God."

Nothing, i.e. no pledge or return of any kind. Christ would have us lend, not only without exacting usury for the loan, but also without expecting a similar kindness in return. For what is it but self-seeking and avarice, if I lend to another that he in his turn may lend to me? Christ here enjoins the true benevolence which lends freely, content that at the appointed time the loan should be returned. Some, indeed, think that there should be no return, but the words of Christ do not bear this construction. For that which is lent without expectation of return, is given, not lent, and becomes not a loan but a gift. Toletus, Lessius, Valentia, and others.

Hence to seek to profit by a loan is contrary to the meaning of the word and the nature of the transaction. For the word mutuum (in the Greek δανείζητε, mutuum date, Vulgate), implies that they are mutuo animo, who give because of duty (Varro); or, as Verius Marcellus better explains it, mutuum means the same as meum tuum, because out of friendly feeling mine becomes thine for present needs and necessities. Hence S. Gregory Nyssen writes, "He who exacts interest on a loan, is condemned as a usurer;" for a loan is a friendly transaction, freely given and to be freely restored.Cicero , Epist. ad Metellum.

A kindly-hearted man, therefore, will lend to him who is in need, even though he may have reason to believe he will never be repaid, for there are many poor who cannot, and many unworthy persons who will not return that which is lent them.

Hence a witty writer, "If you lend to your friend and ask a return of the loan, you will lose either the one or the other;" and again, "By lending money, I have purchased to myself an enemy and lost a friend." He therefore who lends should lend for the love of God, who will richly repay, as is written, "He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord." See Proverbs 19:17.

Hence S. Chrysostom: "The poor receive the gift, but God becomes the debtor;" and S. Basil (conc. 4 de Eleemosyna) "That which thou art about to give to the poor for the love of God, becomes both a gift and a loan, a gift, because there is no expectation of return a loan, because of the goodness of God, who will richly recompense in their name those who have relieved the necessities of the poor."

Wherefore we may take in a Christian sense that which is written: "Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend." See Ecclus, xxix. 10, and my comments thereon. But when men take that which is lent, without a thought of returning it, no one is willing to become a lender.