Recovering Jesus, Appendix: The Sayings of Jesus

**

The time has arrived and the kingdom of God has come to you. Shift your consciousness and take in this good news.

**

Listen: A sower went out to plant: as he planted, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. And other seeds fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it produced no fruit. And others fell into good ground, and produced fruit, growing up and increasing; and produced thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

**

So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in his sickle, because the harvest is come.

**

To what will we compare the kingdom of God? Or in what parable will we put it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the air can lodge under its shadow.

**

With the measure you measure out, it will be measured back to you; and more will be given to you. For he that has, to him will be given: and he that has not, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

**

Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not to be put on a stand? For there is nothing hidden that shall not be made known; neither is anything made secret, but that it will come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.

**

The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and planted in his field. This is the smallest of seeds, but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.

**

The kingdom of the heavens is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.

**

The kingdom of the heavens is like a man that planted good seed in his field: but while he slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, and went away. So, when the blade sprang up and the plants produced fruit, the weeds appeared also. Then the servants of the householder came and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Why then does it have weeds?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ And the servants said to him, ‘Will we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No; when you gather up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather up first the tares, and tie them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.

**

The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. And in his joy he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

**

The kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a merchant, seeking fine pearls: and having found one very precious pearl, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

**

The kingdom of the heavens is like a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. When it was filled, they drew it up on the beach, sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.

**

No man sews a piece of new cloth into an old garment, because that new cloth will shrink and pull away from the garment, and the tear will become worse. Neither do men put new wine into old wine-skins, or else the skins will burst, the wine will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Men put new wine into new wine-skins, and both are preserved.

**

First cleanse the inside of the cup, that the outside may become clean also.

**

If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.

**

Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

**

All who the Father gives me will come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no way cast out.

**

No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draws him.

**

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you: for every one that asks, receives, and he that seeks, finds, and to him that knocks, it will be opened. What man is there of you, who, if his son will ask him for bread, will instead give him a stone; or if he will ask for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, being 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 that ask him? Therefore, whatever you wish for men to do to you, do those things to them.

**

Every one that hears these words of mine, and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house upon rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if did not fall: for it was founded upon rock. And every one that hears these words of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was its fall.

**

Come to me, all of you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

**

Condemn not, so that you will not be condemned. Because the judgment you dispense will be the judgment by which you are judged: and whatever you measure out will be measured out to you.

**
When you pray, do not be as the actors, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into an inner room and shut the door, then pray to your Father who is in secret.

**

When you pray, don’t repeat the same things over and over.

**

Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on both the evil and the good, and sends rain on both the just and the unjust.

**

Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are you when men will reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for this is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

**

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand; so that it shines to all that are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

**

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? In like manner, every good tree produces good fruit; but a corrupt tree produces corrupt fruit.

**

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great ones control them. But it is not to be that way among you. Whoever wishes to become great among you will be your minister; and whoever wants to be first among you will be the servant of all.

**

I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

**

I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man’s foes will be they of his own household.

**

The tree is known by its fruit. From the surplus of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure produces good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil things.

**

By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

**

Not every one that says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens; only he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy through your name, and by your name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works?’ And then will I tell them, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, you that produce transgressions.

**

Come in through the narrow entry, because wide is the entrance, and broad is the path that leads to destruction, and there are many that go though it. But narrow is the entrance and difficult is the path that leads to life, and there are few that find it.

**

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he not leave the ninety nine, and go to the mountains, and seek the lost one? And if he finds it find it; truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety nine which had not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

**

Allow the little children to come to me, and do not forbid them: for the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.

**

There is nothing from without the man, that, going into him, can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.

**

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great ones control them. But it is not to be that way among you. Whoever wishes to become great among you will be your minister; and whoever wants to be first among you will be the servant of all.

**

I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

**

Do not give that which is holy to dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, or perhaps they will trample them under their feet, then turn and injure you.

**

That which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

**

Why do you call me Lord, Lord, but don’t do what I tell you?

**

He that is not against you is for you.

**

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

**

The kingdom of God is within you.

* * * * *

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been taken in adultery, in the very act. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such: what then do you say?” And this they said, testing him, that they might have something to accuse him.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. And when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up, and said to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” And again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. And they, when they heard it, went out, one by one, beginning from the eldest, even to the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman, where she was. And Jesus lifted up himself, and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no man condemn you?”

And she said, “No man, Lord.”

And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you: go your way, and sin no more.

The full book on Kindle