The Most Difficult Thing For Mankind

Humans are capable of doing grand things. We build monumental feats of engineering. We crystallize our ideas and imaginations into books. We travel at breath-taking speeds. We even leave our own planet to explore the heavens above. However, we still view the world according to our own immediate environment. We see the world usually as our home, family, and friends...simply put, whatever is comforting and familiar to us. Of course, there are the explorers, the people who expand beyond the immediate; yet, still, for many of us humans going outside this, we feel fear, hate, intolerance, all those negative things. We are afraid of what we don’t understand and what is different. Religion helps many of us to make sense of all we don’t understand. Yet we even take religion and mold it into something familiar, comforting, routine.

God knows what we humans are like.

We have created a million ways to seek God and the ultimate truths. A million sacred texts to find the answers and the way. Once you take out all the man-made stuff—Bible interpretations, traditions, requirements, customs, doctrine, and all that generates fear and misgiving or that forces you to conform to a man-made idea of what religion should do or be --you are left with something simple. Something so simple we humans can’t seem to collectively grasp it.

That simple thing is for us to get along and love one another. It is not to fear what is strange and new. It is wanting us all to work together. It is treating others the way we wish to be treated. It is wanting us to really love one another and seek peace. You can see for the entirety of human history, we have fought this simple idea of true peace. Wars, terrorism, greed, slavery, genocide, hatred, mutilation, intolerance, the pains of humanity have been "business as usual" for the human race since it has existed. We even quote Bible verses to say there will always be war and rumors of wars. We kill other religions and ideas to push our own agendas. We blindly follow leaders who tell us to hate. We applaud greed as necessary. We say we speak for God when we want violence to comfort our fear.

Maybe what God only wants for us and from us is for us all—every person, every race, every nation, every faith, everyone— to simply get along and love each other...because He knew that that would ultimately be the most difficult thing we would ever have to do.

The Eight Jesus Rules.

When I was in high school, our Baptist church had a speaker, Pastor Waltrop I believe his name was, came to speak to us during a revival.  In the South, we’d every once in awhile have what is called a revival –a week of services to help revive and renew our faith.  I will never forget that night because that was when I began to question my faith –my faith had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and it was on the critical list.  Pastor Waltrop preached to us about how Proctor& Gamble, the soap company, was run by the Devil’s minions.  He explained to us that the music group Queen (and others) recorded secret messages on LP records praising Satan (this was before digital CDs and you had to play the records backwards).  He preached against Rock and Roll and everything in the world that he thought had an agenda to turn you away from Jesus.  The church was packed.  I sat there thinking what does this really have to do with Jesus.  I looked around and saw folks that hadn’t been to church in ages and thought that they weren’t getting the real story about what Jesus wants us to do.  Even in high school, I thought Pastor Waltrop had his own agenda, and that agenda involved following Pastor Waltrop and not Jesus.  It wasn’t long after that I un-Baptisted myself and began to follow Jesus differently.

Every day I see another social media post by someone professing to be a Christian telling others what God or Jesus wants. Many advocate things I just can’t see relating to anything Jesus ever wanted. As Susan B. Anthony said, “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires”. It started me thinking again about what being a Christian really meant and ultimately what we were supposed to do in our relationships with other people.

The simplest answer is that a Christian follows the teachings of Christ –we aren’t Old Testamentarians or New Testamentarians or Paulians or Augustinians or any other variation of document or early Christian father. Our ultimate allegiance is with Christ, everything else is a supporting or bit player and whenever they travel beyond the teachings of Jesus, in my opinion, they become null and void.

Most of my adult life has been asking this question: “What was the essence of what Jesus was teaching us?”.  What did Jesus focus on in his teachings? Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions, said most succinctly that “everything that came from [Jesus’] lips…focus[ed] human awareness on the two most important facts about life: God’s overwhelming love for humanity, and the need for people to accept that love and let it flow through them to others.” That quote summed it up for me.  I later came across eight points in the book entitled The World’s Wisdom.  I call them The Eight Jesus Rules.  I hate to call them “rules”.  It sounds like draconian demands when I use that word. I always hear my mind saying “Rules are meant to be broken.” –that’s from my arts education in college.  The rebel in me hates rules.  I had thought about calling them “commandments”, but there are already ten of those people don’t follow.  The rebel in me hates rules and commands, but I think I could follow these rules pretty easily.

Jesus Christ’s teachings can be summarized into eight points (The Eight Jesus Rules):

1) Love one another.
2) Turn the other cheek.
3) Love your enemies.
4) The Golden Rule (In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.)
5) I was hungry and you gave me food.
6) Before all else, be reconciled (be at peace with others i.e. settle your quarrels with people).
7) Forgive seventy-seven times.
8) Let the sinless cast the first stone.

It’s really that simple.

NOTE: These eight points could serve as a litmus test for any post or person telling you what Jesus would or would not approve. A senator saying that cutting food benefits for the poor is a Christian thing (NO, see numbers 1, 4, and 5). A pastor calling for intolerance and hate (NO, numbers 1, 4, 6, and 9) A Christian demanding violence for something he doesn’t like (NO, numbers 1,2,3,4…you get the picture). Use that list, hang it near your computer, and, as Jesus also said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

Benjamin Franklin Rewrites the Lord's Prayer

Traditional Version of the Lord’s Prayer (King James Version)

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

Franklin’s New Version of the Lord's Prayer

Heavenly Father,

May all revere thee,

And become thy dutiful Children and faithful Subjects.

May thy Laws be obeyed on Earth as perfectly as they are in Heaven.

Provide for us this day as thou hast hitherto daily done.
Forgive us our trespasses, and enable us likewise to forgive those that offend us.

Keep us out of Temptation, and deliver us from Evil. 

Franklin Portrait by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis, c. 1785

January 1, 1768

Reasons for the Change of Expression

Old Version: Our Father which art in Heaven

New Version: Heavenly Father, is more concise, equally expressive, and better modern English.

Old Version:  Hallowed be thy Name. This seems to relate to an Observance among the Jews not to pronounce the proper or peculiar Name of God, they deeming it a Profanation so to do. We have in our Language no proper Name for God; the Word God being a common or general Name, expressing all chief Objects of Worship, true or false. The Word hallowed is almost obsolete: People now have but an imperfect Conception of the Meaning of the Petition. It is therefore proposed to change the Expression into New. May all revere thee.

Old Version: Thy Kingdom come. This Petition seems suited to the then Condition of the Jewish Nation. Originally their State was a Theocracy: God was their King. Dissatisfied with that kind of Government, they desired a visible earthly King in the manner of the Nations round them. They had such King's accordingly; but their Happiness was not increas'd by the Change, and they had reason to wish and pray for a Return of the Theocracy, or Government of God. Christians in these Times have other Ideas when they speak of the Kingdom of God, such as are perhaps more adequately express'd by New Version: And become thy dutiful Children and faithful Subjects.

Old Version: Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven 

More explicitly, New Version: May thy Laws be obeyed on Earth as perfectly as they are in Heaven.

Old Version: Give us this Day our daily Bread. Give us what is ours, seems to put in a Claim of Right, and to contain too little of the grateful Acknowledgment and Sense of Dependance that becomes Creatures who live on the daily Bounty of their Creator. Therefore it is changed to New Version: Provide for us this Day, as thou hast hitherto daily done.

Old Version: Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors - Matthew

Forgive us our Sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us - Luke.

Offerings were due to God on many Occasions by the Jewish Law, which when People could not pay, or had forgotten as Debtors are apt to do, it was proper to pray that those Debts might be forgiven. Our Liturgy uses neither the ‘Debtors’ of Matthew, nor the ‘indebted’ of Luke, but instead of them speaks of those that trespass against us. Perhaps the Considering it as a Christian Duty to forgive Debtors, was by the Compilers thought an inconvenient Idea in a trading Nation. There seems however something presumptious in this Mode of Expression, which has the Air of proposing ourselves as an Example of Goodness fit for God to imitate. We hope you will at least be as good as we are; you see we forgive one another, and therefore we pray that you would forgive us. Some have considered it in another Sense, Forgive us as we forgive others; i.e. If we do not forgive others we pray that thou wouldst not forgive us. But this being a kind of conditional Imprecation against ourselves, seems improper in such a Prayer; and therefore it may be better to say humbly and modestly

 New Version: Forgive us our Trespasses, and enable us likewise to forgive those that offend us. This instead of assuming that we have already in and of ourselves the Grace of Forgiveness, acknowledges our Dependance on God, the Fountain of Mercy, for any Share we may have of it, praying that he would communicate of it to us.

Old Version: And lead us not into Temptation. The Jews had a Notion, that God sometimes tempted, or directed or permitted the Tempting of People. Thus it was said he tempted Pharaoh; directed Satan to tempt Job; and a false Prophet to tempt Ahab, &c. Under this Persuasion it was natural for them to pray that he would not put them to such severe Trials. We now suppose that Temptation, so far as it is supernatural, comes from the Devil only; and this Petition continued, conveys a Suspicion which in our present Conceptions seems unworthy of God, Therefore might be altered to New Version: Keep us out of Temptation.

Source(s):
The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, The Packard Humanities Institute.

The Jefferson Bible

  

A popular philosophy widely accepted by the intellectuals of colonial America at the time of the American Revolution was deism.  Deism is the belief that, although the universe had a Creator, He does not concern Himself with the daily lives of humans and He does not directly communicate with humans.  They believed that the Creator allowed the universe to operate completely upon natural laws.  Deists also believed that human reason was the best means to solve social and political problems of the time. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, James Madison, Thomas Paine and James Monroe were all followers of the philosophy.  Deists were not atheists, but I wouldn't say they were fundamentalist Christians either.  I believe that we really can’t know a person’s inner religious convictions; we can only decipher their beliefs by their actions and works.  By presenting the Jefferson Bible, I don’t want to convince you of what were Jefferson’s beliefs; I want to present you with the fact of something he himself created and let you make your own decisions.

“Done with his official work for the day, Thomas Jefferson sat in the new presidential mansion in Washington in 1803 and opened his Bible--not to pray, but to cut. He scoured the text for Jesus' greatest teachings, sliced out his favourite portions, and glued them into an empty volume. He called it ‘The Philosophy of Jesus.’ That book was lost to history.

In 1819, he started over and created a new version called ‘The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,’ commonly referred to now as the Jefferson Bible. This volume was kept largely secret and passed among Jefferson's relatives until 1895, when it was discovered by the librarian at the Smithsonian. In 1904, it was published by Congress."*

You’ll discover in reading it that Jefferson completely cut out miracles and signs or declarations of Jesus' divinity. 

Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800

The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth 
Extracted Textually from the Gospels 
Greek, Latin, French, and English

Thomas Jefferson, 1819

Christ's Birth through The Twelve Apostles 

Luke 2

The Roman empire taxed. 
1: And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 
2: (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 
3: And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 
4: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 
5: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 
6: And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 
7: And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.   

21: And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS. 
39: And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 
40: And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. 
42: And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast. 
43: And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 
44: But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 
45: And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 
46: And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 
47: And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 
48: And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.   
51: And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. 
52: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. 

Luke 3 
1: Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 
2: Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, 

Mark 1 
4: John did baptize in the wilderness. 

Matthew 3 
4: And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 
5: Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 
6: And were baptized of him in Jordan.   
13: Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 

Luke 3 
23: And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age.  

John 2  
12: After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. 
13: And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 
14: And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 
15: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 
16: And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

John 3 
  
22: After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 

Matthew 4 
12: Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 

Mark 6 
17: For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 
18: For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 
19: Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 
20: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 
21: And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; 
22: And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23: And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 

24: And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 
25: And she came in immediately with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. 
26: And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 
27: And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 
28: And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. 

Mark 1 
21: And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 
22: And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 

Matthew 12 
1: At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. 
2: But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 
3: But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 
4: How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 
5: Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?   
9: And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 
10: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 
11: And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 
12: How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 

Mark 2 
27: And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. 

Matthew 12 
14: Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 
15: But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him. 

Luke 6 
12: And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 
13: And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 
14: Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 
15: Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zealotes, 
16: And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 
17: And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him. 

Beatitudes - The Sinful Woman

Matthew 5 
1: And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 
2: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 
3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
4: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 
5: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 
6: Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 
7: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 
8: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 
9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 
10: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
11: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 
12: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 

Luke 6 
24: But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 
25: Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 
26: Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. 

Matthew 5 
13: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 
14: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 
15: Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 
16: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 
17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 
18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 
19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
20: For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
21: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 
22: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 
23: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 
24: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 
25: Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 
26: Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 
27: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 
28: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 
29: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
30: And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
31: It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 
32: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 
33: Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 
34: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 
35: Nor by the earth; for it is his ?footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 
36: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 
37: But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 
38: Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 
39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 
40: And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 
41: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 
42: Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 
43: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 
44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; 
45: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 
46: For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 
47: And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 

Luke 6 
34: And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 
35: But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 
36: Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 

Matthew 6 
1: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2: Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 
3: But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 
4: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret hinself shall reward thee openly. 
5: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 
6: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 
7: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 
8: Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 
9: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 
10: Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 
11: Give us this day our daily bread. 
12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 
13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 
14: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 
15: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 
16: Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 
17: But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18: That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 
19: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 
20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 
21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 
22: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 
23: But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 
24: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 
25: Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 
26: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 
27: Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? 
28: And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 
29: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 
30: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 
31: Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
32: (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
34: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Matthew 7 
1: Judge not, that ye be not judged. 
2: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 

Luke 6 
38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. 

Matthew 7 
3: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 
4: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 
5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 
6: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 
7: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 
8: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 
9: Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 
10: Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 
11: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 
12: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 
13: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 
14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 
15: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 
16: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 
17: Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 
18: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
19: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 
20: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

Matthew 12 
35: A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 
36: But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 
37: For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

Matthew 7 
24: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 
25: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 
26: And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 
27: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28: And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 
29: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 

Matthew 8 
1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.   

Matthew 6 
6: And he went round about the villages, teaching. 

Matthew 11 
28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 
30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Luke 7 
36: And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 
37: And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 
38: And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 
39: Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 
40: And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 
41: There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 
42: And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 
43: Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 
44: And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 
45: Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 
46: My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.   

Mark 3 
31: There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 
32: And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 
33: And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 
34: And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 
35: For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. 

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