Since the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written down long after the events described, it contains layers. In the text is the memory of what Jesus said and did. Then the story was shaped as told and re-told by the Church for generations. Finally, the evangelist wrote down the story in a way that would help his readers come to faith. We see how this process worked by comparing the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew with the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. Both tell the words of Jesus as remembered by the Church but Luke translated the words of Jesus in a way that would make sense to his gentile audience. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
