Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

This teaching is an order for Christians to break out of themselves and their own little bunch and to include others in all of their plans and activities.

Love your enemies ... Summers noted that:

Two Greek words are regularly translated "love" in the New Testament. One word, [@fileo], relates basically to warm personal affection. The other word, [@agapao], means rational good will and recognition of the value of its object. It is this second word which is used throughout this section.[31]

Thus that Christian love of enemies is that which designs and intends what is best for enemies; enemies being, in the sight of God, subject to the invitation of the gospel and prospective heirs of everlasting life.

Be merciful ... This word also is not the usual New Testament word for "mercy." "It means compassionate and pitying."[32] The employment of it in this context indicates that the clannishness and exclusiveness so severely condemned above actually derive from a lack of pity toward the ones slighted. There is no way that this verse can be equated with Matthew's "Be ye therefore perfect, etc." Two utterly different imperatives are in view, although the one in Matthew surely includes this.

[31] Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 76.

[32] Ibid., p. 78.