The Opening
0) These are the secret sayings which were spoken by Jesus the Living One, and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down. (Matt 1:1, Mark 1:1; Mt 15:12; Acts 20:35; Mt 13:10-11)
1) Jesus says, "Whoever hears these words and discovers the correct interpretation of these sayings will find life independent of death." (Jn 8:51)
2) Jesus says, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over everything. And after having ruled, you will rest." (Rev 14:13)
3) Jesus says, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you and it is surrounding you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the Living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty." Gen 6:2, Dt 30:11-14, Hos 1:10, Zech 12:1, Mal 2:10, Lk 11:41 17:21)
Discrimination
8) And He said, "The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mt 13:47-48)
107) Jesus says, "The Kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine sheep and looked for that one until he found it. When he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, 'I care for you more than the ninety-nine.'" (Mt 18:12-13, Lk 15:3-7)
76) Jesus says, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a merchant who had a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for himself. (Mt 13:45-46) You too, seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth comes near to devour and no worm destroys." (Mt 6:20, Lk 12:33)
36) Jesus says, "Do not be concerned from morning until evening and from evening until morning about what food you will eat, or what clothing you will wear. You are much better than the lilies, which neither card nor spin. And for your part, what will you wear when you have no clothing? Who would add to your stature? It is the Living One who will give you your clothing." (Mt 6:25, Lk 12:22)
14) Jesus says to them, "If you fast,¹ you shall beget transgression for yourselves. And if you pray,¹ you shall be condemned. And if you give alms,¹ you shall cause evil to your spirits. And when you go into any land to travel in the regions, if they receive you then eat what they set before you and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile you— but rather what comes out of your mouth, that is what will defile you. (¹openly, publicly; cp. Sayings 6, 27, 104, Isa 58:6-9; Luke 11:1-4, Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-12, Matt 6:2-4, Matt 6:5-15, Matt 6:16-18, Matt 10:5-15, Matt 15:10-20, Mark 6:7-13, Mark 7:14-23, 1 Cor 10:27, Acts 10:9-16, Acts 11:1-10)
89) Jesus says, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who made the inside is the same one who made the outside?" (Lk 11:39, 40)
Seeing the Master
5) Jesus says, "Know him who is before your face, and what is hidden from you shall be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that shall not be manifest, and nothing buried that will not be raised up." (Mt 10:26, Lk 10:2)
17) Jesus says, "I will give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind." (1 Cor 2:9; Isa 64:4)
15) Jesus says, "When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves on your faces and worship him. That one is your Father." (compare Saying 46)
59) Jesus says, "Look upon the Living One so long as you live, that you may not die and seek to see him, and be unable to see." (Jn 7:34, Jn 13:33)
79) A woman from the crowd said to him, "Blessed is the womb which bore you and the breasts which nourished you." (Lk 11:27-28) He said to her, "Blessed are those who have heard the word of the Father and have truly kept it. For there will be days when you will say, 'Blessed are the womb which has not conceived and the breasts which have not given milk.'" (Lk 23:29)
82) Jesus says, "If someone is near me, he will burn. I am the fire that blazes. Whoever is near me is near fire; whoever is far from me is far from life." (Mark 9:49; Mark 12:34)
77) Jesus says, "It is I who am the light who is above everything. I am everything. Everything came forth from me, and everything return to me. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there." (Jn 8:12; Jn 1:3)
108) Jesus says, "Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall become that person, and the things that are hidden will become revealed to that one." (Jn 4:13-14; 7:37-39; 1 Cor 10:1-4; Sirach 24:21; Odes 30:1, 5; Jn 4:14 and 7:37; Rev 22:17)
13) Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like." Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a righteous messenger." Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise sage." Thomas said to him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom You are like." Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated by the bubbling spring which I have measured out." And he took him and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up." (Ex 3:14, Lev 24:16, Mt 16:13-20; Mk 8:27-30; 14:62, Lk 6:40, 9:18-22; Lk 21:34-36; Jn 4:13-15; Jn 7:38; 15:1, Saying #28; Odes of Solomon 11:6-9)
Turning to the Master
101) Jesus says, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. For my mother gave me falsehood, but my true mother gave me life." (Mt 10:37, Lk 14:26)
104) They said to Jesus, "Come, let us pray today and let us fast." Jesus said, "What is the sin that I have committed, or in which have I been defeated? But when the bridegroom comes forth from the bridal chamber, then let them fast and pray." (Lk 5:33-39; Mt 9:14-17; Mk 2:18-22; Sayings 6; 14; 27)
100) They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "Caesar's men demand taxes from us." he said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God, and give me what is mine." (Mk 12:13-17, Lk 20:22-25)
To know, To Realize, To Recognize, To Understand
3) Jesus says, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you and it is surrounding you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the Living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty." Gen 6:2, Dt 30:11-14, Hos 1:10, Zech 12:1, Mal 2:10, Lk 11:41 17:21)
5) Jesus says, "Know him who is before your face, and what is hidden from you shall be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that shall not be made manifest to you, and nothing buried that will not be raised." (Jn 17:3; Mr 4:11; Lk 12:2)
46) Jesus says, "Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Immerser, there is no one so superior to John the Immerser that his eyes should not be lowered before him. Yet I have said whichever one of you comes to be a child will be acquainted with the Kingdom and will become superior to John." (Mt 11:11; Lk 7:28)
69) Jesus says, "Happy are they who have been pursued in their heart. It is they who have truly come to know the Father. (Mt 5:8 cf. Saying 68) Happy are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires to see Truth shall be filled." (Mt 5:6; Lk 6:21)
78) Jesus says, "Why have you come out into the desert? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a man clothed in fine garments like your kings and your great men? Upon them are the fine garments, and they are unable to know the truth." (Mt 11:7-9, Lk 7:24-26)
105) Jesus says, "He who knows the Father will be beyond all worldly parentage." (Jn 8:8, 39-47)
91) They said to him, "Tell us who You are so that we may put our faith in You." (Jn 9:36) He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read this moment." (Lk 12:54-56)
28) Jesus says, "I stood in the midst of the world, and in the flesh I was seen by them, I found all of them intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty. And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see; for empty they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world. But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they will repent." (Lk 21:34-36; Mt 11:25-30; 23; 37; Lk 13:34; 1 Cor 15:34)
Birth and Death
18) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be." Jesus said, "Have you discovered, then, the beginning, that you look for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the end be. Happy is he who will stand boldly at the beginning; he shall know the end and shall find life independent of death." (2 Esdras 7.30; Rev 22.13; Sayings 1, 3; 18; 49; 51; 85; 91; 111; 113)
19) Jesus says, "Happy is he who already was before he is. If you become my disciples and pay attention to my sayings, these stones will minister to you. (Jn 8:47, 52, 58; Jn 15:8. Mt 3:3; Lk 3:3 Saying 13 Mt 7:9) For there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed in summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall. He who knows them shall find life independent of death." (1 Enoch 3; 10:16; 24; 25:4; 93:2-5; Ps 1:3; 92:13; Isa 44:4; 61:3; Jer 17:8; Ode 11; Ode 38:17-22 Ode 20)
Light at the Centre
24) His disciples said to him, "Show us the place where You are, since it is necessary for us to seek it." (Jn 13:36) He said to them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness." (Mt 6:22-23, Lk 11:34-36)
33) Jesus says, "Preach from your housetops that which you will hear in your ear and in the other ear. (Mt 10:27) For no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, nor does he put it in a hidden place, but rather he sets it on a lampstand so that everyone who enters and leaves will see its light." (Mt 5:15, Mk 4:21, Lk 8:16, Lk 11:33)
50) Jesus says, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own accord and established itself and appeared in their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the elect of the Living Father.' If they ask you, 'What is the sign of your father in you?', say to them, 'It is a movement and a rest.' (Mt 7:14; Jn 8:12; Jn 1:5; Mk 8:11-12; Mt 16:1-4; Lk 11:16, 29-30; cp. Sayings 84; 83; 24; 77; 3; 37; 51; 52; 53)
Finding the Light at the Centre
109) Jesus says, "The Kingdom is like a man who had a hidden treasure in his field without knowing it. And after he died, he left it to his son. The son did not know about the treasure. He inherited the field and sold it. And the one who bought it went plowing and found the treasure. He began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished." (Mt 13:44; Canticles 4.12; Mt 8:11-12; Lk 13:29; Saying 92; 96; 95; Mt 5:42; Lk 6:34; Saying 76)
111) Jesus says, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in your presence. And one who lives from the Living One will not fear because they shall find life independent of death. "For whoever finds his true Self, is superior to the world?" (Ps 102:25-27, Isa 34:4, Luke 16:16-17, Luke 21:32-33, Matt 5:18, Matt 24:34-35, Mark 13:30-31, Heb 1:10-12, Rev 6:12-14)
10) Jesus says, "I have cast fire upon the world, and behold, I guard it until it is ablaze." (Lk 12:49)
The Hidden Real Self
58) Jesus said, "Happy is the man who has suffered and found life." (Mt 11:28)
71) Jesus said, "I shall destroy this house, and no one will be able to rebuild it." (Mk 14:58)
37) His disciples said, "On which day will you be manifest to us and on which day will we behold You?" Jesus said, "When you strip yourselves of your shame, and take your garments and put them under your feet like little children and trample on them, then will you see the Son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid" (Matthew 24.3 (cf. Mark 13.4; Luke 21.7) and Luke 17.20; Saying 22; Saying 70)
70) Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you will kill you." (Deut. 23:5-6; Deut. 30:11-14; Mt 22:23-33; Mr 12:18-27; Lk 20:27-40 Rom 10:6-8)
97) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain woman who was carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking on a road, still some distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the meal emptied out behind her on the road. She did not realize it; she had noticed no accident. When she reached her house, she set the jar down and found it empty." (Mark 4:26-29 Thom 96:1-2; Matt 13:33; Luke 13:20-21; Thom 20:2; Mark 4:31-32; Matt 13:31-32; Luke 13:19)
98) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain man who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand could carry through. Then he killed the powerful man." (Luke 14:31 Luke 16.1-7; Matt. 13.44; Matt. 24.43-44; Luke 12.39; Matt. 11.12; Luke 16.16)
35) Jesus said, "It is not possible for anyone to enter the house of a strong man and take it by force unless he binds his hands; then he will be able to ransack his house." (Mt 12:29; Mk 3:27; Lk 11:21-22)
103) Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the robbers will creep in; so that he will arise and gather his strength and prepare for action before they come." (Mt 24:43, Lk 12:39)
21) Mary said to Jesus, "Whom are Your disciples like?" he said, "They are like children who have settled in a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, 'Let us have back our field.' They will undress in front of them in order to let them have back their field and give it back to them. Therefore I say to you, if the owner of a house knows that the thief is coming, he will begin his vigil before he comes and will not let him into his house of his domain to carry away his goods. (Mt 24:43, Lk 12:39) You, then, be on your guard against the world. Arm yourselves with great strength lest the robbers find a way to come to you, for the difficulty which you expect will surely materialize. Let there be among you a man of understanding. When the grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand and reaped it. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mk 4:26-29)
61) Jesus said, "Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and other will live." Salome said to him, "Who are You, man, that You, as though from the One, have come up on my bed and eaten from my table?" Jesus said to her, "I am he who exists from the Undivided. I was given some of the things of my Father." Salome said, "I am Your disciple." Jesus said to her, "Therefore I say, if he is undivided, he will be filled with light, but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness." (Luke 17:26-35, Luke 10:21-22, Matt 24:37-44, Matt 11:25-27, John 3:31-36, John 13:1-4)
28) Jesus said, "I stood in the midst of the world, and in the flesh I was seen by them, I found all of them intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty. And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see; for empty they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world. But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they will repent." (Lk 21:34-36; Mt 11:25-30; 23; 37; Lk 13:34; 1 Cor 15:34)
10) Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and behold, I guard it until it is ablaze." (Luke 12:49-53, Matt 10:34-39)
7) Jesus said, "Happy is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man." (1 Peter 5:8)
42) Jesus said, "Become your Real Self, as the thinking of the flesh passes away, then you will become passers-by in the world." (2 Cor 4:16)
Oneness
8) And He said, "The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them, the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mt 13:47-48)
4) Jesus said, "Let the old man who is full of days not hesitate to ask the child of seven days about the place of life; then he will live. For many that are first will be last, and last, first, and they will become a single one." (Luke 10:21-22, Luke 13:30, Matt 11:25-30, Matt 19:14, 27-30, Matt 20:16, Mark 10:27-31; Sayings 10, 11, 16, 23, 24, 49, 50, 75, 103, 106, 112, 114)
48) Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in this one house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will move away." (Mt 18:19, Mk 11:23-24)
106) Jesus said, "When you make the two one, you will become the sons of man, and when you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will move away." (Saying 22; 23,49, 75, 48, Luke 17:5-6, Matt 17:19-20, Matt 21:18-22, Mark 11:20-25, 1 Cor 13:2, Ign Eph. 5.2)
22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the Kingdom." They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the Kingdom?" (Mt 18:3, Lk 18:17) Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inner as the outer, and the outer as the inner, and the above as the below, so that you will make the male and the female into a single one, in order that the male is not made male nor the female made female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the Kingdom." (M t5:29-30, Mk 9:43-48)
11) Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. If you ate dead things and made them living, what will you do if you eat living things? When you come to dwell in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?" (Saying 111, Ps 102:25-27, Isa 34:4, Luke 16:16-17, Luke 21:32-33, Matt 5:18, Matt 24:34-35, Mark 13:30-31, Heb 1:10-12, Rev 6:12-14)
87) Jesus said, "Shame on the body whenever it remains fixed in its own nature, because it becomes corrupt and dies. And shame on the soul if it remains fixed only in its own nature and relies only upon its own works, not having fellowship with the divine spirit, because it dies, not having been considered worthy of the eternal life of divinity." (Gal 5:16-18; Rom 8:3-11; John 3:6)
112) Jesus said, "Woe to the flesh that depends on the soul; woe to the soul that depends on the flesh." (Matt 8:22; Lk 9:60)
88) Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you. You, in turn, give them what you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is theirs?'" (Matthew 13:17; 13:41; Luke 10:24; 12.20. cf. Saying 63;. Saying 64)
89) Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who made the inside is the same one who made the outside?" (Lk 11:39, 40)
30)/77) Jesus said, "Where there are two, they are not without God, and when there is one alone, I say, I am with him. Raise the stone, and there you will find me; cleave the wood, and there I am." (Mt 18:20; Jn 8:12; Jn 1:3)
23) Jesus said, "I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one." (GThom 49, GThom 75, GThom 106, Matt 23:15, Ecclesiastes 7:28)
72) A man said to him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me." he said to him, "O man, who has made me a divider?" he turned to his disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?" (Lk 12:13-15)
76) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a merchant who had a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for himself. You too, seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth comes near to devour and no worm destroys." ()
67) Jesus said, "He who knows everything but still feels a personal deficiency, he is completely deficient." ()
62) Jesus said, "It is to those who are worthy of my secrets that I tell my secrets. (Mt 13:11, Mk 4:11, Lk 8:10) Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." (Mt 6:3)
77) Jesus said, "It is I who am the light who is above everything. I am everything. Everything came forth from me, and everything return to me. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there." (Jn 8:12; Jn 1:3)
Spiritual Life Essential
40) Jesus said, "A grapevine has been planted outside of the Father, but being unsound, it will be pulled up by its roots and destroyed." (Mt 15:13)
41) Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has." (Mt 2 5:29; Lk 19:26)
45) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things." (Mt 7:16-20; Lk 6:43-46)
44) Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven him, neither on earth or in heaven." (Mt 12:32, Mk 3:28-29, Lk 12:10)
From Small Things Great Grow
9) Jesus said, "Now the sower went out, took a handful of seeds, and scattered them. Some fell on the road; the birds came and gathered them up. Others fell on the rock, did not take root in the soil, and did not produce ears. And others fell on thorns; they choked the seeds and worms ate them. And others fell on the good soil and produced good fruit: it bore sixty per measure and a hundred and twenty per measure. (Mt 13:3-8, Mk 4:3-8, Lk 8:5-8)
20) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like." he said to them, "It is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds. But when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a great plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky. ()
96) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain woman. She took a little leaven, concealed it in some dough, and made it into large loaves. Let him who has ears hear. (Mt 13:33, Lk 13:20-21)
The Way to the Kingdom
94) Jesus said, "He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in." (Mt 7:7-8; Lk 11:9-10)
54) Jesus said, "Happy are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Mt 5:3; Lk 6:20)
6) His disciples asked him and said to him, "How do you want us to fast? And how shall we pray? And how shall we give alms? And what kind of diet shall we follow?" Jesus said, "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For there is nothing hidden which shall not be shown forth." (Tobit 4:15; Luke 11:1-4, Luke 6:31, Luke 8:16-17, Luke 12:1-3, Matt 6:2-4, Matt 6:5-15, Matt 6:16-18, Matt 7:12, Matt 10:26-33, Mark 4:21-22; cp. Sayings 14, 27, 104, 5:2,)
99) The disciples said to him, "Your brothers and Your mother are standing outside." he said to them, "Those here who do the will of my Father are my brothers and my mother. It is they who will enter the Kingdom of my Father." (Mt 12:46-50, Mk 3:31-35)
12) The disciples said to Jesus, "We know that You will depart from us. Who is to be our leader?" Jesus said to them, "Wherever you are, you are to go to James the Righteous, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being." (John 21.15-17; Acts 7.52; Luke 9:46-48, Luke 22:24-27, Matt 18:1-4, Mark 9:33-35)
78) Jesus said, "Why have you come out into the desert? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a man clothed in fine garments like your kings and your great men? Upon them are the fine garments, and they are unable to discern the truth." ()
81) Jesus said, "Let him who has grown rich be king, and let him who possesses power renounce it." ()
57) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who had good seed. His enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The man did not allow them to pull up the weeds; he said to them, 'I am afraid that you will go intending to pull up the weeds and pull up the wheat along with them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be plainly visible, and they will be pulled up and burned." (Mt 13:24-30)
64) Jesus said, "A man had received visitors. And when he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite guests. He went to the first one and said to him: "My Master invites you.' he said, 'I have claims against some merchants. They are coming to me this evening. I must go and give them my orders. I ask to be excused from the dinner.' he went to another and said, 'My Master has invited you.' he said to him, 'I have just bought a house and am required for the day. I shall not have any spare time.' he went to another and said to him, 'My Master invites you.' he said to him, 'my friend is going to get married, and I am to prepare the banquet. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused from the dinner.' he went to another and said to him, 'My Master invites you.' he said to him, 'I have just bought a farm, and I am on my way to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused.' The servant returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside to the streets and bring back those whom you happen to meet, so that they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the Places of my Father." (Mt 22:3-9; Lk 14:16-24)
85) Jesus said, "Adam came into being from a great power and a great wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. For had he been worthy, he would not have tasted death." ()
110) Jesus said, "Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world." ()
Spiritual Richness
63) Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing. Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear."(Lk 12:16-21)
60) He saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea. He said to His disciples: "Why does that man carry the lamb around?" They said to Him: "So that he may kill it and eat it." He said to them : "He will not eat it as long as it is alive, but only if he kills it and it has become a corpse." They said to Him: "He cannot do so otherwise." He said to them: You also, seek for yourselves a place within for rest, lest you become a corpse and be eaten.." ()
90) Jesus says, "Come to me, for my yoke is easy and my lordship is gentle, and you will find rest for yourselves." (Mt 11:28-30)
51) His disciples said to him, "When will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new world come?" He said to them, "This rest that you wait for has already come, and you have not recognised it." (2 Peter 3:13; Rev 21:1; 1 Cor 4.8; 2 Tim 2.18; Matt 11:28-29; Rev 14:13; Sir 51:26-27)
113) His disciples said to him, "When will the Kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'Here it is' or 'There it is. 'Rather, the Kingdom of the Father will be spread out upon the earth, but men will not recognise it." (Lk 17:20-21; comp Ps 2; Ps 72; Ps 83)
Courage in loneliness
16) Jesus said, "Perhaps men think that I have come to cast tranquillity upon the earth. They do not realize that perhaps my coming will cast divisions upon the earth; even fire, sword, war. (Isa 66:15-16, Joel 2:30-31, Zeph 3:8, Mal 4:1)! For there may be five in a house: three will be against two, and two against three, the father against the son, and the son against the father. And they will stand boldly, being alone." (Mic 7:6, Mt 10:34-36, Lk 12:49-53)
49) Jesus said, "Happy are the solitary and elect, for you shall find the Kingdom. Because you are from the heart of it, and you shall return there again." ()
75) Jesus said, "There are many standing at the door, but the solitary are those who shall enter the bridal chamber." (Mt 9:15; 22:14 25:10)
55) Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother cannot become a disciple to me. (Lk 14:26) And whoever does not hate his brothers and pick up his stake in my way will not be worthy of me." (compare Saying 101; Mt 10:37)
Images
22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the Kingdom." They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the Kingdom?" (Mt 18:3, Lk 18:17) Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inner as the outer, and the outer as the inner, and the above as the below, so that you will make the male and the female into a single one, in order that the male is not made male nor the female made female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the Kingdom." (Mt 5:29-30; Mk 9:43-48)
50) Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own accord and established itself and appeared in their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the elect of the Living Father.' If they question you, 'What is the sign of your Father in you?', say to them, 'It is a movement with a repose.'" ()
83) Jesus said, "The images are manifest to man, and the light that is amongst them is hidden. In the image of the Light of the Father. The Light will reveal itself and his image will is hidden by his Light." ()
84) Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images that in the beginning were in you, which neither die nor are manifest, oh! how will you bear the revelation!" ()
Happiness
68) Jesus said, "Happy are you when you are disliked and persecuted. Wherever you have been persecuted they will find no Place." (Mt 5:11; Lk 6:22)
69) Jesus said, "Happy are they who have been pursued in their heart. It is they who have truly come to know the Father. (Mt 5:8 cf. Saying 68) Happy are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires to see Truth shall be filled." (Mt 5:6, Lk 6:21)
54) Jesus said, "Happy are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Mt 5:3, Lk 6:20)
58) Jesus said, "Happy is the man who has suffered and found life." ()
103) Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the brigands will enter, so that he may get up, muster his domain, and arm himself before they invade." ()
7) Jesus said, "Happy is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man." ()
18) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be." Jesus said, "Have you discovered, then, the beginning, that you look for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the end be. Happy is he who will stand boldly at the beginning; he shall know the end and shall find life independent of death." ()
19) Jesus said, "Happy is he who already was before he is. If you become my disciples and pay attention to my sayings, these stones will minister to you. For there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed in summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall. He who knows them shall find life independent of death." ()
49) Jesus said, "Happy are the quiet and elect, for you will find the Kingdom. For you are from it, and to it you will return." ()
90) Jesus says, "Come to me, for my yoke is easy and my yoke and my lordship is gentle, and you will find repose for yourselves." ()
Old Way and New Way
34) Jesus says, "If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit." (Mt 15:14, Lk 6:39)
46) Jesus says, "Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Immerser, there is no one so superior to John the Immerser that his eyes should not be lowered before him. Yet I have said whichever one of you comes to be a child will be acquainted with the Kingdom and will become superior to John." ()
52) His disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them spoke in You." he said to them, "You have omitted the one living in your presence and have spoken only of the dead." ()
39) Jesus says, "The Pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of Knowledge and hidden them. They themselves have not entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. (Lk 11:52) You, however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves." (Mt 10:16)
102) Jesus says, "Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the manger of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does he let the oxen eat." ()
43) His disciples said to him, "Who are You, that You should say these things to us?" (Jn 8:25) Jesus said to them, "You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you have become like the Pharisees, for they either love the tree and hate its fruit or love the fruit and hate the tree." (Mt 7:16-20, Lk 6:43-46)
53) His disciples said to him, "Is circumcision beneficial or not?" he said to them, "If it were beneficial, their father would beget them already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision is in spirit and gives the ultimate benefit." ()
47) Jesus says, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise he will honour the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result." ()
Beyond Male and Female
114) Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of Life." Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." ()
22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the Kingdom." They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the Kingdom?" (Mt 18:3, Lk 18:17) Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inner as the outer, and the outer as the inner, and the above as the below, so that you will make the male and the female into a single one, in order that the male is not made male nor the female made female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the Kingdom." (Mt 5:29-30, Mk 9:43-48)
101) Jesus says, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. For my mother gave me falsehood, but my true mother gave me life." ()
105) Jesus says, "He who knows the Father will be beyond all worldly parentage." ()
Wealth in Poverty
29) Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty." ()
Austerity
27) Jesus says, "If you do not fast as regards the world, you will not find the Kingdom of God. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see the Father." Jesus said “If you are in my bosom and do not do the will of my heavenly Father, out of my bosom will I cast you away.” ()
56) Jesus says, "Whoever has come to understand the world has found only a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world." ()
80) Jesus says, "He who has recognized the world has found the body, but he who has found the body is superior to the world." ()
Jesus’ Distress
31) Jesus said, "A prophet is not acceptable in his own country, neither does a physician work cures upon those that know him." (Mk 6:4, Lk 4:23-24, Jn 4:44)
74) Jesus says, "O Yahweh, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the well." ()
73) Jesus says, "The harvest is great but the labourers are few, implore Yahweh, therefore, to send out labourers to the harvest." (Mt 9:37-38; Lk 10:2)
92) Jesus says, "Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked me about in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to tell, but you do not enquire after it." ()
91) They said to him, "Tell us who You are so that we may put our faith in You." he said to them, "You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read this moment." ()
38) Jesus says, "Many times have you desired to hear these sayings that I am speaking to you, and you have no one else to hear them from. There will be days when you look for me and will not find me." ()
86) Jesus says, "The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head and rest." (Mt 8:20; Lk 9:58)
65) Jesus says, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, all but killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The master said, 'Perhaps they did not recognize him.' he sent another servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear." (Mt 21:33-39; Mk 12:1-8; Lk 20:9-15)
66) Jesus says, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected. That one is the cornerstone." (Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17; Psalm 118:22)
Wise Sayings
25) Jesus says, "Love your brother like your soul, guard him like the pupil of your eye." ()
26) Jesus says, "You see the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye, but you do not see the plank in your own eye. When you cast the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to cast the speck of sawdust from your brother's eye." (Mt 7:3-5, Lk 6:41-42)
32) Jesus says, "A city being built on a high mountain and fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden." (Mt 5:14)
34) Jesus says, "If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit." ()
23) Jesus says, "I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one." ()
95) Jesus says, "If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but give it to one from whom you will not get it back." (Lk 6:34-35, Lk 14:12-14)
93) Jesus says, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on the dung-heap. Do not throw the pearls to swine, lest they grind it to bits." (Mt 7:6)
The Consummation
94) Jesus says, "He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in." (Mt 7:7-8; Lk 11:9-10)
2) Jesus says, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the everything. And after having ruled, you will rest." (Rev 14:13)
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