Jesus teaches that real love is unselfish and that we prove ourselves to be his followers by loving our enemies, doing good to them, and lending to them without expecting anything in return. He contrasts this with the patronal ethics of the culture, where people only do good to those who do good to them. Jesus emphasizes that we must live at a different level, one that is counter-cultural and supernatural, and that our reward will be great if we do so. [... more]