01 MK
4:24.25
“Whatever
rules you apply in your dealings with others, the same shall be applied to you.
And those who are open to guidance shall be given all they need. Those who
value the things that they have will be given even more while those who don’t
will be deprived of even the little that they have.”
02 MT 5:27.28
“You
have heard it said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone
who even looks at a woman with lust is already guilty of committing adultery.”
03 MT 5:21.22
“You
have heard that people were told, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall
be brought to court.’ But now I tell you: Whoever is angry with his brother without
cause shall be held answerable; whoever calls his brother, ‘You
good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Council; and whoever calls his
brother a worthless fool will be in danger of going to hell.”
04 MT 5:23.25
“If you
are intending to honor God with a gift or sacrifice, make certain that no one
has a valid grudge against you; otherwise, your gift cannot be deemed
acceptable by God. First, you must go and make peace with your enemies; and
only then should you come back and offer your gift to God. Settle disputes with
your adversary amicably before it is too late; otherwise, he might drag you
into court and the court would hand you over to the authorities to be thrown in
jail.”
05 MT 19:16.24
Once, a man came
to Jesus, “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”
And Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? There is only
one who is really good — and that is God. But to answer your question, you can
enter into life if you keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he asked.
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill. You shall not
commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor
your father and mother and you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
“I’ve always obeyed all these commandments,” the man replied. “What else
must I do?”
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and
sell all you have and give the money to the poor and you shall have treasure in
heaven; then come and follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went
away sad because he was very rich. Jesus then said to his disciples, “It is almost impossible for a rich man to enter the
Kingdom of Heaven. I say it again — it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!”
06 LK 12:13.15
A man approached Jesus and said, “Master, speak to my brother, and
tell him to give me my share of our inheritance.”
But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me to judge
concerning such matters?” He then said to the people, “Watch out and guard against covetousness, for a man’s worth
does not depend on the abundance of his possessions.”
07 MT 7:01.05
“Don’t judge and you won’t be judged. In
like manner that you judge, so will you be judged, according to the same rules
and standards. And why do you notice the speck in your brother’s eye but pay no
attention to the board in your own eye? How can you even say to him, ‘Brother,
let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the
board in yours? Hypocrite! First, get rid of the board and then perhaps, you
may be able to see well enough to deal with his speck.”
08 LK 14:07.11
Jesus noticed how some of the guests desired to have the choice
seats at the table; so he told this parable to all of them: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, don’t always
head for the best seat. It could happen that someone more important than you
has been invited, and your host would have to come and say to you, ‘Let him
have your place.’ Then you would be embarrassed and have to transfer to
whatever seat is left vacant. Instead, when you are invited, go and sit where
the lowly sit and when your host comes, he might say to you, ‘Friend, come on
up. We have a better place for you.’ In this way, you shall be honored in the
presence of all the other guests. For whoever exalts himself shall be abased
and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”
09 LK 18:09.14
Then he told this story to some who boasted of their virtue and
scorned everyone else. “Once there were two men who
went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee; the other, a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, ‘I thank you, God, that I am
not like other men who are greedy, dishonest or an adulterer. I fast twice a
week and I give a tenth of all my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven
in shame, but beat on his breast and said, ‘God, have pity on me, a sinner!’
“I tell you,” said Jesus, “this sinner and not
the Pharisee returned home forgiven! The proud shall be humbled and the
humble shall be lifted up.”
10 MT 6:05.06
“When you pray, don’t be like the
hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the
street corners so that everyone may see them. I assure you, they have already
been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door and pray
to your Father in private. And your Father Who knows all your secrets will
reward you openly.”
11 MT 6:16.18
“And when you fast, do not put on a sad
face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone may
see that they are fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever
get. But when you fast, wash your face and comb your hair so that others may
not suspect that you are fasting. And your Father Who knows every secret will
reward you.”
12 MT 25:14.30
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated
by the story of a man who was about to leave home on a trip. He called his
servants and put them in charge of his property, entrusting to them various
amounts of money which they are to invest for him while he is gone. He gave to
each one according to his ability: to one, he gave five thousand gold coins; to
another, two thousand; and to another, one thousand. Then he went on his trip.
“The servant who had received five thousand coins immediately invested the same
and earned another five thousand. In the same way, the servant who received two
thousand coins earned another two thousand. But the servant who received one
thousand coins went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time, the master came back and called his servants to account for
his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted five thousand coins brought him
ten thousand. His master praised him for his good work. ‘You have been faithful
in handling this small amount,’ he told him, ‘so now, I will reward you by
investing you with greater authority and more matters will be brought under
your care.’
“Next came the servant who had received two thousand. ‘Master, you gave me two
thousand and I have doubled it,’ he said. His Lord said to him, ‘Well done,
good and faithful servant. Likewise, inasmuch as you have been faithful in
handling such a small amount, I will now entrust much more to your care.’
“Then the servant who had received one thousand came in and said, ‘Master, I
know you are a hard man; you harvest where you did not plant and gather where
you did not winnow. I was afraid; so I went off and hid your money under the
ground and here it is.’
“‘You despicable and lazy servant!’ his master said. ‘You knew, didn’t you,
that I reap where I did not plant and gather crops where I did not winnow? Well
then, you should have deposited my money in the bank and I would have earned
some interest on it. Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one
who has ten thousand coins.’ For everyone who makes good use of what he is
given will be given more and he will have more than enough. But from anyone who
proves to be unfaithful, even the little that he has will be taken away from
him.”
13 LK 19:12.26
“There was once a man of noble birth who
was going to a far country to be made king, after which, he planned to return
home. Before he left, he called his ten servants and gave each of them a gold
coin and told them, ‘See what you can earn with this while I am gone.’ Then the
man left.
“Upon his return, he ordered his servants to appear before him in order that he
may find out what had happened to his money. The first one came and said,
‘Lord, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.’
“‘Well done,’ he said, ‘you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in
small matters, I will put you in charge of ten cities.’
“The second servant came and said, ‘Lord, I have earned five gold coins with
the one you gave me.’
“To this one, he said, ‘You will be in charge of five cities.’
“Another servant came and said, ‘Lord, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden
in a handkerchief. I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking
what isn’t yours and even confiscating the crops that others plant.’
“The king said to him, ‘You evil servant! Hard, am I? That’s exactly how I’ll
be towards you! If you knew so much about me and how harsh I am, then why
didn’t you deposit the money in the bank so that I could at least earn interest
on it!’ Then he said to the others, ‘Take the money away from him and give it
to the man who earned the most.’
“‘But Lord,’ they said, ‘he has enough already!’
“‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘but it is always true that to the one who has, even
more will be given and from the one who has nothing, even the little that he
has will be taken away.’”
14 LK 12:47.48
“The servant who is aware of what his
master wants him to do but refuses to do it will be severely punished. But the
servant who, innocently, does something he shouldn’t do, will be punished only
lightly. For to whom much is given, much is required; and to whose care more is
entrusted, much more will be expected.”
15 LK 16:01.12
“There was once a rich man who hired a man
to manage his business. Sometime later, he was informed that the man was
thoroughly dishonest. He called in the manager and said to him, ‘What’s this I
hear about your stealing from me? Turn in a complete report of your stewardship
because you are dismissed.’
“The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what can I do? I can’t go out and dig
ditches and I’m too proud to beg. I know! Yes, that’s what I’ll do! And then
I’ll have plenty of friends to take care of me, just in case.’ So he invited
each one who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He
asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’
“‘I owe a hundred barrels of oil,’ the man replied.
“‘Here is the contract you signed,’ the manager told him. ‘Tear it up and write
another for fifty.’
“And to another man, he said, ‘And how much do you owe him?’
“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ was the reply.
“‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take your note and replace it with another for only
eight hundred bushels.’
“The rich man had to admire the rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that
the worldly are far more clever in handling the affairs of this world than the
godly are. But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through
cheating? Will this ensure for you the rewards you expect to gain? No! For he
who is faithful in that which is the least is faithful also in much. And he who
is dishonest in minor matters will also be dishonest in the more important
ones.
“If then, you have been proven untrustworthy in the handling of worldly wealth,
who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you cannot be trusted
with other people’s property, who would care to rely on you for anything at
all?”
16 MT 5:42
“Give to those who ask and lend to those
who would borrow.”
17 MT 6:01.04
“Take care! Don’t do your good deeds
publicly to be admired by men, for then, you would lose your reward from your
Father in heaven. But when you give alms, don’t make a big show of it, as the
hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets, so that people may
think well of them. I tell you in all earnestness, they have received all the
reward they will ever get.
“But when you help someone, do it in such a way that not even your closest
friends may know about it. Then, it will be a private matter. And your Father
Who knows all secrets will reward you.”
18 MK 12:41.44
As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as
they dropped in their money. Many rich men gave quite a lot of money. Then a
poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a
penny. He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box
than all the others. For the others put in a little of their excess wealth; but
she, poor as she is, put in all she had, even that she needed to live on.”
19 LK 14:12.14
Then Jesus said to his host, “When you
give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your relatives or your
rich neighbors. For they will invite you at some other time to return the
favor. Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame
and the blind; and you will be blessed, because they won’t be able to pay you
back. And you shall be rewarded when the righteous are brought back to life.”
20 MT 7:06
“Don’t give that which is holy to dogs;
neither cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them with their feet
and then turn to attack you.”
21 MT 5:43.48
“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love
your friends and hate your enemies.’ But I say: Love your enemies, bless those
who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully
use you and persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father
in heaven.
“For He makes the sun to shine on both the evil and the good and sends rain to
the just as well as to the unjust. And if you love only those who love you, why
should you merit a reward? Even the tax collectors do as much. And if you
respect only those who are your friends, what do you do that is more than what
others do? Even the pagans do that. But you are to become perfect, just
as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
22. LK 17:03.04
“If your brother commits an offense against you,
inform him of his mistake; and if he should be sorry, forgive him. And even if
he wrongs you seven times in one day and, each time, comes to you asking your
forgiveness, you should forgive him.”
23 JN 8:01.11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early the next morning,
he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him and he sat down
and began to teach them. As he was speaking, the Jewish leaders and Pharisees
brought a woman caught in adultery and placed her out in front of the staring
crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of
adultery. According to the law, Moses commands that such a woman must be stoned
to death. But what do you say?” They were trying to trap Jesus into saying
something they could use against him; but as though he had not heard them,
Jesus stooped down and traced his fingers on the ground.
They kept demanding an answer; so he stood up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first
stone.” Then he stooped down again and continued to write on the ground.
Convicted by their own conscience, all who heard his words began to leave, one
by one, beginning with the eldest, until only Jesus was left alone with the
woman. He straightened up and said to her, “Where are
your accusers? Is there no one left to condemn you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said, “Well, neither do I condemn you. Go,
but don’t sin again.”
24. LK
7:37.50
In that town, there was a woman who lived a sinful life. She
heard that Jesus was eating in the house of a Pharisee; so she brought an
alabaster jar full of perfume and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying, and
began to wash his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair,
kissed them and poured the perfume on them.
When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, “If this man really were a
prophet, he would have known what kind of woman this one is. She is such a
notorious sinner.”
Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have
something to tell you.”
“Yes, Teacher,” he said, “what is it?”
“Two men owed money to a moneylender,” Jesus
began. “One owed him five hundred silver coins and the
other one, fifty. Neither of them could pay him back; so he cancelled the debts
of both. Which one, then, will love him more?”
“I suppose,” answered Simon, “that it would be the one who owed more.”
“You are right,” said Jesus. Then he turned to
the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I
came into your home and you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she has
washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You did not welcome
me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came. You
provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume.
Her sins, and they are many, are forgiven because she loves so much. But those
whose sins are not so great, though they be forgiven, will not love as much.”
Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who does he
think he is, going around forgiving sins?”
But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you;
go in peace.”
25. MT
18:23.35
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king
who decided to update the accounts of his servants. In the process, one who
owed him ten thousand gold coins was brought in. The servant did not have
enough to pay his debt: so the king ordered that he be sold as a slave,
together with his wife and children and all that he had in order to pay the
debt. The servant fell on his knees before the king, ‘Be patient with me,’ he
begged, ‘and I will repay the full amount.’ The king felt sorry for him, so he
forgave him the debt and let him go.
“Then the same man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a
few silver coins. He grabbed him and started choking him, demanding that he be
paid. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged him, ‘Be patient with
me and I will pay you back.’ But he refused; instead, he had him thrown in jail
until he should pay the debt.
“When the other servants
saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him
everything. So he called the servant and said to him, ‘You evil-hearted wretch!
I forgave you the whole amount you owed me just because you asked me to. You
should have been merciful to your fellow servant just as I had shown mercy to
you.’ The king was very angry and he sent the servant to jail to be punished
until he should pay back the whole amount.”
And Jesus concluded, “So shall my Father in heaven do the same to all those who
refuse to forgive their brothers.”
26. JN 15:12
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
27. MK
12:28.33
One of the religious teachers who was listening to the
discussion realized that Jesus had answered well. So he asked, “Of all the
commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important one is this:
‘Listen, Israel! The Lord, our God, is the one and only God. And you shall love
the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind
and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘You must love others as much as
you love yourself.’ No other commandments are greater than these.”
The man then said, “Well done, Teacher! It is true, as you say, that
only the Lord is God and that there is no other God but He. And man must love
God with all his heart, with all his mind and with all his strength; and he
must love his neighbor as he loves himself. It is more important to obey these
two commandments than to offer altar animals and other sacrifices to God.”
28. LK 10:29.37
The man wanting to justify his strong aversion for certain
people asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered, “There was once a man who was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers jumped him, stripped him and beat
him up, leaving him half dead. Sometime later, a priest went down that road;
but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed over to the other side of the
road and walked on by. A Jewish temple-assistant did the same thing; he, too,
left him lying there.
“But a despised Samaritan came along and when he saw him, his heart filled with
pity. Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and
bandaged them. Then he put the man on his donkey and walked along beside him
till they came to an inn, where he nursed him through the night. The next day,
he handed the innkeeper two silver coins and told him to take care of the man.
‘If his bill should come to more than that,’ he said, ‘I’ll pay the difference
when I return.’ Now, which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the
victim?”
The man replied, “The one who helped him.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
29. MT
5:38.41
“You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: Don’t resist evil. But when you are
slapped on one cheek, offer the other also. And if someone takes you to court
to demand your shirt, let him have your coat, as well. And if anyone compels
you to go a mile, go with him two miles.”
30. MT 7:12
“Accordingly, whatever you would want people to do for
you, do the same for them. This is the essence of the Law of Moses and the teachings of the
prophets.”
31. MT 6:33
“But
first, seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall
be ours, as well.”
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