Tax collectors were a despised group in Israelite society. They purchased the right to collect toll taxes from the Roman overlords. 1 They would then collect extra money on top of what they were meant to collect for the Romans, thereby profiting off of fellow Israelites. Even so, despite the hatred of fellow Jews, the tax collectors were still liked by their friends. They had people who loved them and who they also loved. 2 As such, those whom the Jewish people commonly considered to be immoral (tax collectors) met the same moral standard as that which was practiced by the apparently pious. This (implicit) argument would expose Jesus’ hearers to shame. 3
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?