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Blessed are the humble.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Blessed are the meek
Blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are those who mourn.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for their righteousness.
Blessed are you when all manner of evil is falsely bestowed upon you.
You are the light of world.
Let you light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
You are my ambassadors. Put your trust in the Father whose messengers you are.
Do not forcibly resist injustice.
Be willing to suffer injustice for my sake.
In kindness, minister to all in distress and in need.
If your neighbor smites you, turn the other cheek.
Love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who despitefully use you.
Whatsoever you believe I would do to men, do you also to them.
You are commissioned to save men, not to judge them.
Make not the mistake of plucking a splinter from your brother's eye when you have a larger one in your own.
Discern the truth clearly; live the righteous life fearlessly.
If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.
If you would guide others into the kingdom, you must yourselves walk in the clear light of living truth.
Parables of Jesus
[Many theologians believe that the parables provide the best introduction to what Jesus really thought about God. At the time of Jesus, God was one who rewarded those who obeyed him but one who visited his wrath upon the disobedient. This God supported his chosen ones in battle against their enemies, he visited disease and death upon them, their children and their crops and cattle. Jesus taught us about a God who loved all his earthly children.]
Bread or a Stone?
"Which of you who is a father, if your child has need of bread, will you give him a stone? Or if your child has need of fish will you give him a serpent caught in your net if the child foolishly asks for it? If you, then, being mortal and finite, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give his spirit and his blessings to those who ask him?"
[This is one of the simplest but most powerful of Jesus' parables because it helps us, as good earthly parents, to understand what a perfect Father in heaven would or would not do for his children. For any appropriate situation we can always ask ourselves, "Do I really believe a perfectly good God would do that?"] [i.e. applied to the atonement doctrine it provides an unequivocal answer.]
The Good Samaritan.
In answer to a lawyer's question on who is his neighbor, Jesus said:
"A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of brigands, who robbed, stripped, and beat him, and departing, left him half dead. Very soon afterwards, a priest came upon the wounded man, but seeing his sorry plight, he passed by on the other side of the road. And in like manner a Levite also, when he came along and saw the man, he, too, passed by on the other side.
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