The Unforgiving Servant

Jesus told this story to explain why we should always forgive other people.

There was once a king who decided it was time for his servants to settle the debts they owed him. While he was checking his accounts, one of his servants was brought to him, who owed the king a huge amount of money. He would have had to be a millionaire to pay him back.

"If you can't pay me in money," the king said,"you had better be sold as a slave, along with your wife and children. That will help to pay off your debt."

But the servant fell on his knees, begging for mercy.

"Just give me time," he pleaded, "and I will pay it all back,"

The king knew that was impossible and he felt sorry for him.

"I'll forgive you your debt, "he said kindly. "you can go free."

With a huge sigh of relief, the servant left the king's presence. Outside the throne room he caught sight of one of the other servants who owed him a very small sum. He grabbed hold of him, insisting that he should pay him back at once.

The second servant pleaded,"Please give me time and I will give you the money,"

"I shall do nothing of the kind!" the first servant shouted angrily. He threw the second servant into prison until he could pay his debt.

The rest of the servants were furious and told the king about it. He sent for the first servant.

"You wicked, worthless servant!" he said. "I forgave you the huge amount you owed me. How could you treat your fellow-servant as you did? You are the one who will be punished in prison!"

Jesus added,"That is how my Father in heaven will treat you, if you don't forgive others from your heart when they hurt or wrong you."

The Real Treasure

Do not collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust do damage, and where thieves break through and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do damage, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will stand by one and despise the other. You cannot work for both God and worldly wealth. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your well-being, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor about your body and what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Behold the fowls of the air. They sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one minute to his life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. They do not work, nor do they spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today grows and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry saying, "What shall we eat?" or What shall we drink?" or "With what shall we be clothed?", for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take care of itself. The troubles of today are enough for today.

Judge not, that you be not judged. For by what judgment you make, you shall be judged, and with what measure you give, so shall you be measured. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother,"Let me pull out the speck from your eye," when, behold there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast out the log from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast out the speck from your brother's eye.

Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and attack you.

Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened. What man is there among you who, if his son asks bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent?

The Golden Rule
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore, whatever you want that men should do to you, do so to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

Enter in at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in that way. Because narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few that find it.

By Their Fruits...
Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a bad tree brings forth bad fruit. A good tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you shall know them.

Not everyone that says to me, "Lord, Lord" shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he shall that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name done many wonderful works?" And then I will say to them,"I never knew you. Depart from me, you that practise evil."

Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken to a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them no, shall be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.


Sermon on the Mount
The Law and The Prophet
The Love of Enemies
The Lord's Prayer

Almsgiving, Prayer And Fasting

And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you: that is their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is unseen. And your Father who sees that which is in secret shall reward you openly.

And when you pray, do not use idle phrases as the heathen do, for they think they shall be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows everything you need, before you ask him. In this manner, therefore pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom com.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive our debts,
as we forgive our debtors,
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever.
Amen

For if you forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their offences, neither will your Father forgive your offences.

Moreover, when you fast, do not look sad like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to fast. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face, so that you do not appear to fast to them, but to your Father. And your Father who sees that which is in secret shall reward you openly.



Sermon on the Mount
The Law and The Prophet
The Love of Enemies

Love Your Enemies

Sermon on the Mount -- Jesus telling his disciples and a great mass of people about the new covenant....

You have heard that it has been said,"You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good alike, and sends his rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you deserve? Do not even tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even tax-collectors do so? Be therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Take care that you do not do your good deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. When you give charity, do not sound a trumpet before yourself as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, to have the praise of men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in that. But when you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your charity may be in secret. And your Father who sees what you do in secret shall reward you openly.

Help Our Neighbour
Our Neighbour
The Good Samaritan

The New Covenant

From The Old To The New Covenant
Do not think that I have come to destroy the old law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one dotting of an "i" nor crossing of a "t" will be removed from the law until all is fulfilled.

Therefore whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men to do so, shall be called the lowest of all in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you that unless your goodness excels that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard it said by men in the days of old,"You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be in danger of punishment." But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be in danger of punishment by God. And whoever curses his brother shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore, if you bring your offering to the altar, and there remember that your brother has any grievance against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go and be first reconciled to your brother, and then come and make your offering.

Agree with your adversary quickly while you are on the way to court with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Truly I say to you, you shall never come out of there, till you have paid the last penny.

Again, you have heard that it has been said by men of old,"You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform as you swear in your oaths." But I say to you, swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let what you have to say be simply 'Yes' or 'No', for whatever is more than these comes from evil.

You have heard that it has been said,"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." But I say to you, do not resist an injury. Whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him also the other. If any man wants to sue you for your coat, let him have your cloak as well, and whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asks, and if anyone wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away.


Jesus went up into the mountain to preach to the great masses of people

Life-Giving Words

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain. And when he had found a suitable place, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you, when men shall revile you,
and persecuted you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely,
for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad,
for great is your reward in heaven,
for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Live For Others
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its flavour, how shall it be salty again? It is then fit for nothing but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, where it gives light to all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Beatitudes
The Beatitudes

Harvest Time

Picture taken on 3 August 2008: It's harvest time.... For the first time, I had seen this Tembusu tree, Fagraea fragrans blossomed, full-bloomed, and now the first time, its FRUITS, berries, ripened, the whole tree FULL of fruits...

The Story of Unemployed Workers
Jesus often reminded people that God's kingdom is for those humble enough to accept God's kindness and love, even though they don't deserve it. No one can bargain with God or hope to earn a place in his kingdom.

There was once a man who went to the market place early one morning, to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them the regular wage of one silver coin for the day's work.

At nine o'clock, at noon, and at three, he went to the market again and hired more workers.

It was nearly five when he went for the last time. There were still some men standing around.

"Why have you done nothing all day?" he asked.

"Because no one has hired us," they said miserably.

"Then come and work in my vineyard," he told them.

When evening came, the owner instructed his foreman to pay all the workers, beginning with those hired last.

To their delight, the latecomers were given the full day's wage of a silver coin.

The men who had worked all day expected to get more, when their turn came. But every worker received the same.

"That's not fair!" the first workers grumbled. "We ought to get extra. We worked through the heat of the day, not like these lazy latecomers!"

"Listen, friends," the owner told them, "I have not cheated you. I have paid you what we agreed. It is for me to decide how I use my money. Are you jealous because I have been generous to the others?"

"In God's reckoning, the first often end up last and the last first," Jesus said at the end of the story.


These are the fruits of Tembusu Tree

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:6-8