The Gospels in Four Part Harmony Part 6

27 "But I say to you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For he is kind to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

25.35 When You Give Alms

MT 6:1-4

1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 "Thus, when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

25.36 When you Pray

MT 6:5-15

5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, shut the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not use empty repet.i.tions as the Gentiles do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray, then, in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'

14 For if you forgive men their trespa.s.ses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespa.s.ses, neither will your Father forgive your trespa.s.ses.

25.37 When you Fast

MT 6:16-18

16 "And when you fast, do not look gloomy, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to be fasting to men, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

25.38 Do not Lay up for Yourselves Treasures on Earth

MT 6:19-24

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The lamp of the body is the eye. So if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.

25.39 Do not be Anxious About Your Life

MT 6:25-34

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if G.o.d so clothes the gra.s.s of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

25.40 Judge Not

MT 7:1-5

1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the same judgment you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

LK 6:37-42

37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." 39 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the plank from out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

25.41 Do not Give Dogs What is Holy

MT 7:6

6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

25.42 Ask and it Will be Given to You

MT 7:7-12

7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

25.43 Enter by the Narrow Gate

MT 7:13-14

13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.

14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

25.44 You Shall Know Them by Their Fruits

MT 7:15-27

15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.

21 "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers!'

24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was its fall."

LK 6:43-49

43 "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush.

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

47 Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

25.44 Conclusion of the Sermons

MT 7:28-29

28 And when Jesus had finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

26.10 A Leper is Healed Near Capernaum

MT 8:1-4

1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Then Jesus put out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be clean."

Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."