[ p. 120 ]
“You who are poor are fortunate, because the Kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you who know what it is to be hungry, for some day you will find satisfaction. You who know sorrow now are blessed, because a time will come when you will be happy. Do not let yourselves be troubled when men talk against you and tell all sorts of lies about you. Be glad and leap for joy, for your heavenly reward will be great; for it was in this way that the prophets of olden days were treated” (Lk. 6: 20-23; Matt. 5: 3, 6, 4, xi, 12).
“I tell you who are listening to me: Love your enemies, do a kindness for those who hate you, say a prayer for those who abuse you. If some one strikes you on the cheek turn to him the other, and if anyone takes away your overcoat do not try to withhold your undercoat. Give something to anyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes something of yours do not demand it back. And whatever you would like to have people do for you, do it for them” (Lk. 6: 27-31; Matt. 5: 44, 39, 40, 42; Matt. 7: 12).
“And if you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you; even worldly people love those who love them. And if you treat well only those who treat you well, what credit [ p. 121 ] is that to you; even worldly people do that. But love your enemies, and be constantly helpful, and your reward will be great; you will in this way be sons of the Most High; he is kind to the unthankful and the bad. Be full of loving kindness as your Father above is loving and kind” (Lk. 6: 32-36; Matt. 5: 46, 47, 44, 45, 48).
“Do not pass judgment on others and then they will not pass judgment on you, for the measure you use in dealing with others will be the measure that will be used toward you” (Lk. 6: 37, 38; Matt. 7: 1, 2).
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, and do not notice at all the beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you do not see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Take the beam out of your own eye first, and then you will be able to see to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Lk. 6: 41, 42; Matt. 7: 3-5).
“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a ditch?
“A learner is not better than his teacher, but every pupil strives to become as nearly perfect as his teacher” (Lk. 6: 39, 40; Matt. 15: 14; Matt. 10: 24, 25).
“Healthy trees do not produce bad fruit, nor does a bad tree yield good fruit. Every tree is judged by its fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor is a bunch of grapes picked from a thistle. A good man, out of the good stored up in his soul, produces good; while a bad man, out of his bad store, produces evil. Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk. 6: 43 — 45 ! Matt. 7: 18, 20, 16; Matt. 12: 34, 35).
“Anyone who listens to my words and acts accordingly is like a man who in building his home dug deep and laid his foundation upon the rock. When a flood came the stream broke against that home, but was not able to shake it because it had been well built.
“On the other hand, anyone who listens but does not act is like a man who built his home on the ground without any [ p. 122 ] foundation. And the water broke against it and it collapsed. And the crash of that house was great” (Lk. 6: 46-49; Matt. 7: 21, 24-27).
Jesus was entering the city of Capernaum. There was a Roman officer there who had a servant who was ill and at the point of death. He sent to Jesus a request that he would come and save his servant’s life. But when Jesus arrived within a short distance of the house, the officer sent friends with the message, “Sir, do not trouble yourself further, for I am not a suitable person to have you come into my home. Simply give the command and have my servant healed. For I, myself, am a man under orders and having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
And when Jesus heard this he was surprised, and said to those who were following him, “I tell you I have not found such confident trust even among my own countrymen” (Lk. 7: 1-9; Matt. 8: 5-10).
And John called two of his disciples and sent them to ask Jesus, “Are you the Coming One or shall we look for some one else?” Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you hear and see, that ‘blind ones are regaining their sight’ [Is. 61: 1], that lame ones are beginning to walk, lepers are recovering and deaf men are hearing, dead ones are coming to life and ‘poor folks are having the Good News told to them’ [Is. 61: 1]. And happy is the man who is not perplexed and disturbed by all this” (Lk. 7: 19-23; Matt. 11: 2-6).
When these messengers had departed, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: “What did you go out into the desert [ p. 123 ] to see? A reed being swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in luxurious garments? You know that men who wear such clothes live in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you much more than a prophet. This is the man of whom Scripture says:
“ ‘Behold I am sending my messenger in advance of you To prepare the way before you’ ” [Mal. 3:1].
I tell you that among those born of women there is none greater than John: yet those who are of least importance in the Kingdom of God are greater than he” (Lk. 7: 24-28; Matt, n: 7-11).
“To what can I compare the people of this time? They are like children sitting in the street and calling to one another and saying:
‘We have played the flute for you, but you would not dance.
We have wailed, but you would not weep.’
For John came, a man not eating or drinking like others, and you say, ‘He has a bad spirit in him.’ And now the son of man has come, eating and drinking like others, and you say, ‘There is a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax collectors and worldly people.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children” (Lk. 7: 31-35; Matt. 11: 16-19).
“And he sent them out to preach, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand,’ and to heal the sick” (Lk. 9: 2; Matt. 10: 5-8).
A man came to Jesus and said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the [ p. 124 ] air have nests; but the son of man does not have a place to lay his head.”
Another man said to him, “Let me first go back home and bury my father.” Jesus replied, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. Come and spread the good news of the Kingdom of God” (Lk. 9: 57-60; Matt. 8: 19-22).
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are scarce. Utter a prayer to the Lord of the harvest that he send workers for the harvesting” (Lk. 10: 2; Matt. 9 : 37 , 38 ).
“I tell you I am going to send you out like lambs among wolves” (Lk. 10: 3; Matt. 10: 16).
“Do not carry a bag, or a wallet, or shoes, and do not stop to chat with friends along the way. And whatever house you enter, say ‘Peace to this household.’ And if there is anyone there who loves peace, your peace will rest upon him, otherwise it will return to you” (Lk. 10: 4-6; Matt. 10: 12, 13).
“When you remain at a house, accept the food and drink which they offer you; for a worker deserves a return for his work” (Lk. xo: 7; Matt. 10: 10).
“And when you enter a city and they refuse to receive you, go out into the streets and utter words like these:
“ ‘Alas for you, city of Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the wonders which have happened in your midst had happened in Tyre and Sidon they would have shown their change of heart by sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Tyre and Sidon will come off better at the judgment than you.
“ ‘And you also, Capernaum, will you exalt yourself unto heaven? You shall go down and be numbered among the dead. I tell you, the land of Sodom will come off better at the judgment than you’” (Lk. xo: 13-15, 12; Matt. 11: 21-24).
“Those who listen to you are listening to me, and those who disregard you are disregarding the God who sent me” (Lk. 10: 16; Matt. 10: 40).
[ p. 125 ]
When those who had been sent returned with joyful news, Jesus said in exultation: “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that though thou hast hidden these things from the wise and the learned, thou hast manifested them to thy little children. Again I thank thee, Father, that thou hast been pleased to have it thus” (Lk. 10: 17, 21; Matt. 11: 25-26).
“All this has been intrusted to me by my father. No one truly knows me except my Father, and no one truly knows the Father except his son and those others to whom the son is striving to reveal him” (Lk. 10: 22; Matt, n: 27).
“Blessed are your eyes for what they see; for I assure you that many prophets have longed to see what you are seeing and could not see it, and to hear what you are hearing and could not hear it” (Lk. 10: 23-24; Matt. 13: 16, 17).
“Learn to pray in this way:
“ ‘Father, may thy name be revered,
May thy kingdom come,
Give us day by day our bread for the day,
Forgive us our sins
For we also forgive anyone who wrongs us,
And do not bring us into temptation.’ ”
(Lk. 11: 2-4; Matt. 6: 9-13).
“Ask, and you will receive: seek, and you will find; knock, and a door will be opened for you; for it is the one who asks who receives, and the one who seeks who finds, and the one who knocks to whom a door is opened. What father among you if his son asks for a fish will give him a snake, or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion. In the same way if you, bad as you are, know enough to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father above give his spirit to those who pray to him” (Lk. 11: 9-13; Matt. 7: 7-11).
[ p. 126 ]
At one time they brought to him a man afflicted with a demon of dumbness. And when the demon was gone the dumb man began to speak. And the people were astonished. Some of them said, “It is with the help of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this has occurred.” Jesus replied, “If I am driving out demons with the help of Beelzebub, with whose help do your sons drive them out? But if I am driving out demons by the aid of God’s spirit, then the kingdom of God has arrived among you” (Lk. 11: 14,19, 20; Matt. 12: 22, 27, 28).
“Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not help me in gathering, are scattering” (Lk. 11: 23; Matt. 12: 30).
“When a bad spirit goes out of a man it roams through the country looking for a home. When it fails to find one it says, ‘I am going back to the home which I left.’ When it returns it finds it unoccupied and swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits worse than itself and they go in and begin to live there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first” (Lk. 11: 24-26; Matt. 12: 43-45).
Some of them said, “We want you to show us a sign.” lie replied, “It is a wicked age which demands a sign. No sign will be given except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah went to be a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the son of man be a sign for this age. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment side by side with the people of this age and condemn it; for they had a change of heart because of Jonah’s preaching; and something greater than Jonah’s preaching is happening now.
The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment beside [ p. 127 ] the people of this age and will condemn it; for she journeyed from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and something greater than Solomon’s wisdom has now come” (Lk. xi: 16, 29-32; Matt. 12: 38, 39, 41-42).
“When you light a lamp, you do not put it under a cover to hide it, but place it on a stand so that it gives light to all” (Lk. 11: 33; Matt. 5: 15).
“The lamp of your body is your eye. If you keep your eye healthy your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye begins to be bad your whole body will become dark. So beware, let not your light turn to darkness!” (Lk. 11: 34, 35; Matt. 6: 22, 23).
“Alas for you Pharisees who clean the outside of the cup and the plate while inside you are full of greed and evil. Clean first the inside, and the outside will take care of itself” (Lk. 11: 39 ? 40; Matt. 23: 25, 26).
“Alas for you Pharisees who pay tithes on mint and rue and every little herb, and yet neglect justice and kindness. These are the things you ought to do without neglecting those lesser things” (Lk. 11:42; Matt. 23:23).:’
“You are like graves which are made to look well on the outside” (Lk. 11:44; Matt. 23: 27).
“You teachers of the law load people with burdens which can hardly be carried, while you, yourselves, do not touch them even with one finger” (Lk. 11: 46; Matt. 23: 4).
“Alas for you who set up monuments for the prophets yet testify by your conduct that you are sons of your fathers. They put the prophets to death and you build tombs for them. This is what the scripture says, T will send prophets to them, and [ p. 128 ] some of them they will put to death, and some they will persecute.’ So the blood of all the prophets from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias who perished between the altar and the sanctuary has come upon this age as a stain and testimony” (Lk. 11: 47-51; Matt. 23: 29-32, 34-36).
“Alas for you teachers of the law who have taken the key to the gate of the Kingdom of God and are not only not entering it yourselves, but are hindering those who are trying to enter (Lk. 11: 52; Matt. 23: 13).
“There is nothing that is covered up which is not going to come to light; there is no dissimulation which will not be discovered. Whatever you say secretly is sure to manifest itself, and what you whisper to one another will proclaim itself.
“Do not be afraid of those who may kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Fear rather that which can destroy both soul and body in a valley of Hinnom” (Lk. 12: 2-5; Matt. 10:26-28).
“Do not five sparrows sell for a small coin? Yet not one of them has escaped the Father’s notice. I assure you that the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not let fear rule your life, you are of greater value than a great number of sparrows” (Lk. 12:6, 7; Matt. 10:29-31).
“I tell you, do not worry about your life fretting as to what kind of food you are going to eat, or about your body as to what clothes you are going to wear. Your life is more important than what you wear. Look at the birds of the air. They do not even plant fields or reap harvests; they have no storehouses or barns; yet the Father above gives them food. You are of far greater value than the birds.
“Will worry help anyone of you to add a single hour to his life? If worry cannot help you in the least, what use is there in it?
[ p. 129 ]
“Learn a lesson from the lilies of the field, see how they grow. They do not fretfully toil and spin; yet I tell you even Solomon in all his grandeur was never robed like one of them. If God thus clothes the flowers of the field which today are alive and tomorrow are used for fuel in a stove, how much more surely will he take care of you, you who have so little trust in him. So do not ask what you are going to eat or to drink, and do not worry yourselves about it. For the people of the world are striving for these things, and your Father above knows that you need them all. But seek his kingdom first, and these other things will be yours besides” (Lk. 12: 22-31; Matt. 6: 25-33).
“Give to the needy, make yourselves purses that will never wear holes in them and fail you in time of need [Hag. 1: 6]. Lay up for yourselves a lasting treasure in heaven where thieves cannot break through nor steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also” (Lk. 12: 33, 34; Matt. 6: 19-21).
“You know well that if the master of the house had known at just what time the burglar was coming he would have kept watch and not have allowed his home to be entered and robbed. This is the way you should be constantly on the watch, for you cannot tell at what hour the son of man may come.
“Which one of you is like the trustworthy servant whom the master in any time of absence will place in charge of his household to provide food and supplies at the proper times? Happy will be that servant if his master on returning home finds him doing his duty. I tell you that a master will choose that kind of a man to put in charge of all his affairs. But if that servant says to himself, ‘It will be a long while before the master comes,’ and begins to mistreat the members of the household and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come at a time when he least expects it and will make an end of him and put him with the untrustworthy ones” (Lk. 12: 39-46; Matt. 24: 43-51; cf. Matt. 25: 13).
[ p. 130 ]
“Do you think that I have come to bring peace in the world? I would rather tell you, to bring division, ‘Son at variance with father, daughter with her mother, daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law’” [Micah 7:6] (Lk. 12:51, 53; Matt. 10: 34 - 35 )*
“Do your best to make reconciliation with an adversary along the way; otherwise he may bring you before the judge and the judge may hand you over to the bailiff, and you may be put in prison. I tell you, you will not get out from there until you have paid the last cent” (Lk. 12: 58, 59; Matt. 5: 25, 26).
“The Kingdom of God is like a bit of yeast which a woman took and mixed in a big measure of flour until the whole batch was made to rise” (Lk. 13: 20, 21; Matt. 13: 33).
“Make every possible effort to get in through the narrow door, for many who are trying to enter will not succeed” (Lk. 13: 24; Matt. 7: 13, 14).
“Some will say, ‘Open the door for us, sir’; and he will answer, ‘I do not know you; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity’ [Psa. 6: 8]. You will weep and gnash your teeth if you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God, and yourselves left outside. And many will come ‘from the East and from the West’ [Mai. 1: 11], and receive their places in the kingdom of God (Lk. 13: 25-29; Matt. 25: 11, 12; Matt. 7: 23; 8: 11, 12).
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death her prophets and stoning the messengers sent to her, how many times have I wanted to gather your children around me as a hen gathers her chickens under her wing! And you have refused. Now I leave you to yourself [Jer. 22: 5; 12: 7]. I tell you, you will not see me any more until you say: ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Jehovah’” [Psa. 118: 26] (Lk. 13: 34, 35; Matt. 23: 37 - 39 ).
[ p. 131 ]
“Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 14: 11; Matt. 23: 12; Lk. 18: 14).
“No one who will not take up his own cross and follow after me can be a disciple of mine” (Lk. 14: 27; Matt. 10: 38).
“You should be the salt of the earth. But if the salt itself loses its flavor, wherewith can its strength be restored? It is good for nothing but to be thrown away” (Lk. 14: 34, 35; Matt. 5: 13).
He told them a story as follows: “If any man of you has a hundred sheep and one of them has wandered away, does he not leave the ninety and nine in the pasture and go to look for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he is happy. And when he reaches home he calls in his friends, saying, ‘Rejoice with me for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ I tell you that there will be greater rejoicing in the presence of the Father above over the finding of one who has wandered away than over ninety and nine who have not strayed” (Lk. 15:4-7; Matt. 18: 12, 13).
“No one can be a loyal servant to two different masters. For he will either dislike one and love the other or he will be faithful to the one and make light of the other. You cannot serve both God and the mammon of money” (Lk. 16: 13; Matt. 6: 24).
“The prophets and the law prevailed until the coming of John the Baptist. Since then the kingdom of God has been proclaimed and men are trying to push their way into it” (Lk. 16: 16; Matt. 11: 12, 13).
“It is easier for heaven and earth to change than for one letter of the law of God to fail” (Lk. 16: 17; Matt. 5: 18).
[ p. 132 ]
“Any man who puts away his wife to marry another woman commits adultery and a woman who puts away her husband to marry another man is committing adultery” (Lk. 16 : 18 ; Matt. 5: 32; 19: 9; cf. Mk. 10: n).
“It is to be expected that obstacles to the kingdom will come, but alas, for the man who brings them” (Lk. 17: 1; Matt. 18: 7).
“If your brother does you a wrong, go and talk it over with him, and if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he does you a wrong seven times a day and comes to you each time afterward and says, ‘I am sorry,’ you are to forgive him” (Lk. 17: 4; Matt. 18: 15, 21, 22).
“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here,’ and it would move, and nothing would be impossible for you” (Lk. 17: 6; Matt. 17: 20; cf. Mk. 11: 22, 23, Matt. 21: 2).
“If they say to you, ‘There is the son of man’ or ‘This man is he,’ do not believe it or go to follow him. For as the lightning flashes suddenly in the sky, so will be the coming of the son of man. Just as it happened in the days of Noah so shall it be at the coming of the son of man. They were eating and drinking, they were marrying and being married up to the day when, ‘Noah entered the ark’ [Gen. 7: 7]. And the flood came and destroyed them all. And where the dead bodies are, the vultures will gather.
“There will be two men in the same field; one may be taken and the other left. Two women may be grinding together, and one taken and the other left” (Lk. 17: 23, 24, 26, 27, 37, 34, 355 Matt. 24: 26-28, 37-41).
“The one who tries to preserve his own self will lose his soul, but he who loses himself in the cause of the Gospel of the kingdom will find the higher life” (Lk. 17:33; Matt. 16: 25; Mk. 8: 35; Lk. 9: 24; Matt. 10: 39).
“Anyone who has something of spiritual insight will be able to gain more, but one who has nothing will lose even what he [ p. 133 ] has” (Lk. 19: 26; Matt. 25: 29; Mk. 4: 25; Lk. 8: 18; Matt. 13: 12).
A teacher of the Law asked Jesus, “Master, what shall I do to attain the life of the age to come?” And Jesus answered, “What do you find in the Law? What do you read there?” He replied, “ ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God’ [Deut. 6:5] and ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ ” [Lev. 19: 18]. And Jesus said, “You have answered correctly, ‘Do this and thou shalt live’” [Lev. 18: 5].
The man desiring to justify his question said to Jesus, “But who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered:
“A man was once going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by robbers who took even his clothes and after beating him, got away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going that way and saw him, but went by him at a distance. In the same way a Levite came to the spot and saw him, but passed around him. Finally a foreigner from Samaria who was on a journey came to him and when he saw him he was sorry for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he placed him on his own beast and brought him to an inn where he took care of him. On the next day he took some of his own money and gave it to the manager and said, ‘Take good care of him, and whatever further you have to spend I will repay to you on my way back.’
“Which of these three men do you think turned out to be ‘neighbor’ to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
He replied, “The one who was sorry for him and helped him.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do as he did” (Lk. 10: 25-37).
[ p. 134 ]
“What will happen if one of you who has a neighbor goes to him in the middle of the night and begs him, ‘Comrade, let me have three pieces of bread; a guest has just arrived at my house on a journey and I have nothing to give him to eat’? The friend from inside may answer, ‘Do not bother me now; the door is locked and my children are with me in bed;I cannot get up to give you anything.’ But I assure you if he will not get up and give him anything for the sake of friendship, nevertheless, if the demand is persistent enough he will get up and give him whatever is needed” (Lk. 11: 5-8).
One man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Master, speak to my brother and tell him to share the inheritance with me.” Jesus said to him, “Who appointed me judge or arbitrator between you?” Then Jesus continued to those present, “Be careful to keep yourselves from every sort of greed; for even when a man has wealth and plenty, his life does not consist of his possessions.” Then Jesus told them this story:
“It once happened that a rich man had farms which proved very fertile: And he began to reason with himself in this way, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do; I am going to take down my bams and build larger ones and keep all my grain and my goods there. And I am going to say to myself, “My soul, you have plenty of wealth laid by for many years to come. Now take it easy; eat, drink and enjoy yourself.” ’ But God said to the man, ‘You foolish man, this very night your soul will be taken away from you; then all these things you have prepared,— who will possess them?’
“Such is the man who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Lk. 12: 13-21).
[ p. 135 ]
Just at that time some people arrived with news about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with the blood of their sacrifices, and he answered, “Do you suppose that because these Galileans have suffered in this way that they were sinners any more than other Galileans? I tell you, No. But unless you have a change of heart, you will all perish, too. It is just the same as with those eighteen on whom the tower fell at Siloam and killed them. Do you suppose that they were offenders any more than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, No. But unless you have a change of heart, you will all perish, too.” Then he told them this story:
“Once a man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. And he came to look for fruit on it and did not find any. Then he said to his gardener, ‘It is now three years that I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down and take it away. Why should it use this space for nothing?’ But he answered, ‘Let it stay, sir, just this season, till I dig around it and fertilize it. Then if it produces fruit next season, good! But if not, then take it away’ ” (Lk. 13: 1-9).
Once he was teaching in a house of worship on the Sabbath and it happened that a woman was present who had had a spirit of weakness for eighteen years. She was bent over and was not able to straighten herself up at all. When Jesus saw her he spoke out to her, saying, “Come here and be released from your weakness.” And he placed his hands on her. And she straightened herself up immediately and began to give thanks to God. But the head of the synagogue was disturbed by the fact that Jesus had cured her on the Sabbath and said to those present, “There are six days on which work should be done. Come on those days if you want to be cured, but not on the [ p. 136 ] Sabbath.” The Master answered him, “You hypocrites, don’t you release your ox or your donkey from the manger on the Sabbath to lead him away to water? And may not this woman who is a daughter of Abraham and whom the evil one bound eighteen years ago be released from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” When he had said this, all those who were opposing him felt ashamed, and all the people present were happy over all the splendid things he was doing (Lk. 13: 10-17).
At that time some Pharisees arrived, saying, “Leave here and make your escape; for Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and say this to that fox, I shall go on with my task of banishing evil spirits and curing people today and tomorrow and the next day until I complete my work. But today and tomorrow and the day after I must continue on my journey because it is not right that a prophet should die anywhere but in Jerusalem” (Lk. 13: 31-33).
Once when he observed that the invited guests were picking out the best places for themselves, he began to talk to them in this way:
“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding supper do not go and occupy the best place. Perhaps some one whom the host holds in greater respect has been invited. Then the host may come to you and say, ‘Let this man have a place,’ and then you will be embarrassed and start off to take the lowest place. When you receive an invitation go and find the lowest place. Then when the host comes he will say to you, ‘My friend, come up nearer.’ Thus you will receive honor before all your fellow guests.”
Then he said to the host who had invited him, “When you invite folks to lunch or to supper, do not ask your personal [ p. 137 ] friends or your brothers or your relatives or well-to-do neighbors; they might invite you in return and so pay you back. But when you entertain, invite poor folks and people who are crippled or lame or blind. Then you will be happy, for they cannot pay you back and so you will receive your return at the resurrection of the righteous.”
One of the guests who heard this said to him, “Truly happy is the man who eats bread in the kingdom of God.” Jesus said to him, “Once a man was giving a great supper. He sent out many invitations. Then at the hour for the supper he dispatched his servant to announce to those who had been invited, ‘Come now. Everything is ready!’ Then they each began to beg to be excused. The first one said, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I have to go and see it; I beg of you, let me be excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen and I am going to try them out. I beg of you let me be excused.’ Still another one said, ‘I have just been married, and for that reason am unable to attend.’
“When the servant returned and reported all this to his master, the host became angry and said to the servant, ‘Go out at once into the parks and streets of the city, and bring in the poor folks and the people who are crippled and blind and lame.’ When the servant reported ‘Your order, sir, has been carried out, and there is still room,’ then the master said to him, ‘Go out into the country along the roads and fences, and make others come in, so that my house may be filled. For I assure you that none of those men who received invitations shall have a taste of my supper’ ” (Lk. 14: 7-24).
“If any one of you sets out to build a tower in his vineyard, does he not first sit down and calculate the cost and lay plans to finish the building? Otherwise he may have laid the foundation and not be able to complete the work; then anyone who [ p. 138 ] views it will begin to ridicule him and say, ‘This man started to build and has not been able to finish his work.’
“Or if a king goes to wage war with another king does he not first sit down and lay plans to see whether he will be able with ten thousand men to meet the other who is coming against him with twenty thousand? In the same way any one of you who does not use every possible means at his disposal cannot be a disciple of mine” (Lk. 14: 28-33).
“Is there a woman who, after losing one of ten pieces of money, will not take a light and search carefully and sweep the house until she finds it? Then when she has found it she calls in her friends and neighbors and tells them, ‘I have found the coin which I lost. Come and share my happiness.’ In the same way I assure you there is happiness among the angels of God when one worldly man has a change of heart” (Lk. 15: 8-10).
“Once there was a man who had two sons. And the younger of the two said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate which is to come to me.’ So the father divided between them what he possessed. A few days later the younger son took everything he had and started off for a distant place. There he squandered his money in reckless living. After he had spent everything, there came a time of severe famine in that district and he began to be in want. Then he went and secured work with one of the owners in the district and that man put him on his farm to take care of his hogs. There he used to want to feed himself with the beans which the hogs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he finally came to his senses he said, ‘How many hired men my father has who have plenty of bread to eat and I am perishing here with hunger! I am going to set out and go to my father, and say to him, ‘Father, I [ p. 139 ] have done wrong both toward heaven and toward you; I am not worthy to be known as your son any longer, but make me one of your hired men.’ So he started out and made the journey to his father’s home. But while he was still some distance away, his father saw him and felt sorry for him and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have done wrong both toward heaven and toward you; I am not worthy to be known as your son any more, but make me one of your hired men.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out right away the best robe we have and dress him in it, and bring a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet; and get the calf that has been fattening and kill it, and let us have a merry feast; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life, he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now the older son was in the field. When he came in near the house he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what could be going on. He answered him, ‘Your brother has come home and your father has killed the calf that has been fattening, because he has his son back safe and sound!’ The older brother became angry and would not go in. Then his father came out and begged him. But he answered his father, ‘See how many years I have been serving you and have never disobeyed any command of yours. Yet you have never given me even a kid so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has eaten up your estate with bad women comes home you kill for him the calf that has been fattening.’ The father said to him, ‘My child, you are with me all the time and everything that I have is yours. But we could not help celebrating and being happy over your brother, who was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found’ ” (Lk. 15: 11-32).
“Once a rich man had a manager who was maliciously accused of squandering the property. The master summoned him and [ p. 140 ] said: ‘What is this I hear about you? Render your accounts as manager, for you cannot act as my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now that my master is taking away my position from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I would be ashamed to beg? I know what I can do so that when I am put out of my position people will welcome me in their homes!’ Then he summoned each one of those who were in debt to his master and said to the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here take your bond; sit right down and make it fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘How much do you owe?’ And he replied, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bond and make it eighty.’ The master complimented the unjust manager because he had acted prudently.
“Godless men are more clever in their conduct toward their fellow men than are the sons of the light. I tell you, make friends for yourself with your worldly gains so that when it is gone they may welcome you into the homes which endure.
“The man who is trustworthy in a small matter is trustworthy in a great one, too. So if you do not prove trustworthy in the use of your faithless money, who will trust you in the matter of the true treasure? And if you have not proved trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you a treasure of your own” (Lk. 16: 1-12).
“Once there was a rich man who dressed in fine linen and wore a purple cloak. He had a banquet in his home every day. Now there was a poor man whose name was Lazarus. He used to be placed near the gate. He was afflicted with sores and used to want to be fed with the leavings from the rich man’s table. Worst of all, the dogs would come and lick his sores.
“After a while the poor man died and was carried away by [ p. 141 ] the angels to the presence of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he looked up while he was in distress and torment and saw Abraham at a distance, and Lazarus with him. So he Called to him, saying, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to wet the tip of his finger with water and cool my tongue, for I am in pain and distress in this burning heat.’
“Then Abraham said, ‘My child, remember that you had your good things during your lifetime and Lazarus had his troubles. But here he is now receiving his comfort while you are suffering. Besides all this, between you and us there lies a great chasm, so that those who want to cross over from here to you are not able to do so; nor can anyone cross from you to us.’
“The rich man said, ‘Then I beg of you, father, send him to the home of my father; for I have five brothers. Have him tell them so that they will not follow me to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. They may listen to them.’ Then he said, ‘But I beg of you, Father Abraham, if some one from the dead should go to them, they would have a change of heart.’ But he said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if some one were to return from the dead” (Lk. 16: 19-31).
“Which of you who has a servant ploughing or taking care of the sheep would say to him when he came in from the field, ‘Here, come and sit down?’ Would you not naturally say ‘Get the supper ready, put on your coat and wait on me while I eat, then have your own supper?’ Do you give special thanks to the servant for doing what he is told? Apply this to yourselves. When you have observed all the commandments, then say plainly, ‘We are only ordinary servants; we have only done what we ought to have done’ ” (Lk. 17: 7-10).
[ p. 142 ]
When he was asked by the Pharisees at what time the kingdom of God was going to come he replied in the words: “The kingdom of God is not going to come in a visible fashion. You will not be able to say: ‘Here it is. Look at it/ or, ‘There it is.’ For I tell you the kingdom of God is among you” (Lk. 17: 20, 21).
He told them a story to show the need of persistence in prayer and of never becoming discouraged: “There was once a judge in a certain city who had no fear of God or regard for men. In the city there was a widow who used to come to him with her petition, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ And he was not willing for a while, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or regard men, yet because this widow makes me so much trouble I will give her a hearing; otherwise she may wear me out with her visits’ ” (Lk. 18: 1—5).
At another time he spoke to some who were quite confident that they were righteous and who felt themselves better than others: Two men went into the court of the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a collector of taxes. The Pharisee straightened himself up and began to pray in this way to himself: ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like the rest of men, greedy, dishonest, impure, or like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of all I gain.’
“The tax-gatherer, standing at a distance, could not even raise his eyes to heaven, but struck upon his breast, saying, God, have mercy on this sinner.’ I tell you, this man went home with God s approval rather than the other, for everyone who lifts himself up will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will find himself exalted” (Lk. 18: 9-14).
[ p. 143 ]
One day as he continued his journey, he was passing through Jericho. There lived there a man name Zacclueus, who was the head collector of taxes and personally wealthy. He was trying hard to see who and what Jesus was, but, being a short man, he was not able to see him on account of the crowd. So he hastened on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, knowing that he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchams, come down, for I want to stop at your home today.” So Zacchaeus hastened down and welcomed him heartily.
Those who saw it began to whisper, saying, “He has gone to stay at the home of a man of the world.” But Zacchaeus in his home straightened himself up and said to the Master, “Listen, sir, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone I will return him four times the amount.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has reached this home; this man too has become a son of Abraham. The son of man has come To find those who were lost’ [Ez. 34: 16] and to save them” (Lk. 19: 1-10).
“Once there was a member of a royal house who made a journey to a distant place to receive an appointment as king and to return. (See Archelaus, p. 59.) So he called ten servants of his and gave to them each a sum of money, telling them to make good use of it while he was gone. When he returned after receiving his appointment as king, he gave orders that these servants to whom he had given the money be called into his presence, that he might find out what use they had made of it. So the first one came, saying, ‘Master, your money has earned ten times as much.’ He said to him, ‘Well done; you are an excellent servant. Since you have proved trustworthy in a very [ p. 144 ] small matter, you are to have supervision of ten cities.’ Then the second came, saying, ‘Your money, sir, has earned five times as much.’ To him he said, ‘You too are to have supervision of five cities.’
“Then the other one came, saying, ‘Sir, here is your money which I have kept carefully preserved in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a very strict man. You take what you have not planted and harvest what you have not sown.’ To him he said: ‘I will convict you out of your own mouth, you bad servant. You knew that I was a very strict man, taking what I had not planted and reaping what I had not sown. Why did you not at least put my money in the bank? Then when I arrived I could at least have had it with the addition of interest.’ Thereupon he gave the order to his attendants, ‘Take the money from him and give it to the one who earned the tenfold amount.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten times as much I’ ‘Yes,’ he said; ‘I tell you anyone who has earned something will have more given him, but the man who has nothing will have even what he has, taken away” (Lk. 19: 12, 13, 15-26).
“Anyone who wishes to be my disciple will practice selfdenial and take up a cross and follow after me” (Mk. 8: 34; Lk. 9: 23; Matt. 16: 24; Lk. 14: 27; Matt. 10: 38).
“No one who lights a lamp puts it under a cover to hide it, but places it on a stand so that it gives light to all” (Mk. 4: 21; Lk. 8: 16; Matt. 5: 15; Lk. 11: 33).
“There is nothing that is covered up which is not going to come to light; there is no dissimulation which will not be discovered” (Mk. 4: 22; Lk. 8: 17; Matt. 10: 26; Lk. 12: 2).
“Anyone who has something will gain more, but one who [ p. 145 ] has nothing will lose even what he has” (Mk. 4: 25; Lk. 8: 18; Matt. 13: 12; Lk. 19: 26; Matt. 25: 29).
“It is a wicked age which demands a sign. I tell you no sign will be given to this generation” (Mk. 8: 11, 12; Matt. 16: 1-4; Matt. 12: 38, 39; Lk. 11: 29).
“Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 14: 11; Matt. 18:4; Lk. 18: 14; Matt. 23: 12).
“Any man who divorces his wife to marry another woman commits adultery” (Mk. 10: 11, 12; Lk. 16: 18; Matt. 19: 9; Matt. 5: 32).
“Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Mk. 10: 31; Matt. 19: 30; Lk. 13: 30; Matt. 20: 16).
“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here,’ and it would move, and nothing would be impossible for you” (Mk. xx: 22, 23; Matt. 21: 21; Lk. 17: 6; Matt. 17: 20).
“Be constantly watchful; for you cannot tell when the master of the house may come” (Mk. 13: 35; Matt. 24: 42; Lk. 12: 37; Matt. 25: 13).
“Anyone who aims to preserve his own self will lose his soul, but anyone who loses himself in the cause of the Gospel will find himself” (Mk. 8: 35; Lk. 9: 24; Matt. 16: 25; Lk. 17: 33; Matt. 10: 39; John 12: 25).
Bosworth, Life and Teaching of Jesus , pp. 1-22.
Burch, Ethical Teaching of the Gospels , pp. 13-16, 214-238.
Burton, Teaching of Jesus , pp. 1-17.
Cadbury, Making of Luke-Acts pp. 1-110.
Goodspeed, The New Testament (Lk. 3-19), pp. 113-158. [ p. 146 ]
Harnack, The Sayings of Jesus.
Kent, The Life and Teaching of Jesus , pp. 1-33. King, Ethics of Jesus, pp. 33-108.
Streeter, The Four Gospels , pp. 149-198.
Zenos, Plastic Age of the Gospel , pp. 27-34.
In the next pages under “G” and “Pm” are given all the sayings which occur in similar wording in both Luke and Matthew outside the Markan material. These sayings are usually known as the “Logia,” or “Q.” They evidently were taken from an early source or sources (“G” and “Pm”) used by both Luke and Matthew. They are given in the order of their occurrence in the Gospel of Luke. For further explanation see next chapter. ↩︎
These sayings are found in both Matthew and Luke. They are from a source probably distinct from “G” above. See Burton and Goodspeed, Harmony, p. iv. ↩︎
A source used by Luke in 9: 51 to 18: 14 and 19: 1-28. The source consisted principally of parables. ↩︎
These sayings occur some four and some five times in the Gospels. The fact that they occur more than once in the same Gospel (Luke or Matthew) suggests that they may have occurred in at least two of the sources used by the Gospel writers. Hence the name “doubly attested,” ↩︎
Occurring six times in the Gospels. ↩︎