Like Matthew chapters 5-7, Luke chapter 6 is part of Jesus' famed "Sermon on the Mount." And yet, Luke's version of the sermon is quite different from Matthew's record of it. Certainly, both have a crossover, but what struck Luke about the sermon is definitely not what struck Matthew. Both may have heard the same verbal accounts of Jesus' discourse, and both may have been present when He delivered it. (We simply don't know.) But what struck these two gospel authors as memorable (from the sermon) was somewhat different.

Clement of Alexandria (AD150-circa 215), one of the early Fathers of the Church, offered his own commentary on the meaning of verse 30 of Luke's account of Christ's sermon. Clement explained that we should not "wait to be importuned" for assistance, but instead should "seek those who are to be benefited" from our help. In a word, we should be "proactive" about doing good.

As Clement continues his discourse on this passage, he reminds us: "For the Lord loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7) "who delights in giving, and spares not." Then Clement adds this: "But better than this is the saying spoken by the Lord in another place, "‘Give to every one that asketh thee.' [Luke 6:30] For truly such is God's delight… And… [do not] wait to be asked, but inquire [of] oneself who deserves to receive kindness."

Clement sees "giving" as a Christian virtue, and he—like the Lord—encourages all who believe in Jesus to consciously seek to develop this precious trait.