Luke 6:36 (KJV)

What does Luke 6:36 mean?

In Luke 6:36, Jesus tells his listeners to show mercy to others because their Father is merciful. Mercy here means responding with compassion rather than treating people only as they deserve. Jesus presents the Father’s own character as the pattern for their conduct.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples, with a larger crowd listening. His words follow the call to love enemies in the preceding verses. The word “therefore” connects his instruction to what he has just said about God’s kindness.

The Greek behind Luke 6:36

• “merciful” — οἰκτίρμων (oiktirmōn): The Greek word carries the sense of being compassionate or moved by another’s need. Its use for both the listeners and the Father makes the comparison especially clear.
• “Be ye” — γίνομαι (ginomai): The Greek carries the sense of becoming or coming to be. Here it is used as an instruction to the listeners, not merely as a description of them.

Why Luke 6:36 matters

• Mercy reaches beyond friends and those who return kindness. The surrounding passage includes enemies among the people Jesus tells his listeners to love (Luke 6:27, 35).
• The verse places mercy alongside God’s generosity toward people who do not thank him. Just before this verse, Jesus says that the Father is kind “unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35).
• The address “your Father” gives the instruction a family relationship. Jesus speaks of the listeners’ Father rather than presenting mercy as an isolated rule.