Luke 6:36 (ASV)

Passage

Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Nearby Context

Luke 6:34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.

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.

Luke 6:36 Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:37 And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released:

Luke 6:38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "merciful", "even", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "merciful" and "even", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 35's "But love your enemies and do them..." into verse 37's "And judge not and ye shall not...", so "merciful" and "even" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "merciful" and "even" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.