Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Mark 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Mark 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Matt 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Matt 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me.
Matt 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Matt 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matt 19:25 When his disciples heard [it], they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Matt 19:26 But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Luke 18:21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luke 18:23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Luke 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Luke 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:26 And they that heard [it] said, Who then can be saved?
Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Matt 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Matt 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Thom 72:x A man said to Him: Tell my brethren to divide my father's possessions with me. He said to him: O man, who made Me a divider? He turned to his disciples, he said to them: I am not a divider, am I?
Luke 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luke 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luke 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry.
Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luke 12:21 So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Thom 63:x Jesus said: There was a rich man who had much money. He said: I will use my money that I may sow and reap and plant and fill my storehouses with fruit, so that I lack nothing. This was what he thought in his heart. And that night he died. Whoever has ears let him hear.
Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
Luke 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body [is more] than raiment.
Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
Luke 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
Luke 12:26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith?
Luke 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luke 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Thom 36:x Jesus said: Take no thought from morning until evening and from evening until morning for what you shall put on.
Thom 80:x Jesus said: Whoever has known the world has found the body, and whoever has found the body, of him the world is not worthy.
Thom 111:x Jesus said: The heavens will be rolled up and the earth in your presence, and he who lives on the Living One shall see neither death nor fear, because Jesus says: Whoever finds himself, of him the world is not worthy.
Even as birds eat flesh in the air, wolves eat flesh on earth, fishes eat flesh in water, so also the rich man is consumed everywhere.
Wealth alone is the cause of all human miseries. Even if wealth is utilised for good purposes, that will bring no happiness to man.
Hence all kinds of acquisition of wealth are only for increasing the delusion of the mind, to excite miserliness, pride, haughtiness, fear, and anger.
Wise men know that the sorrows of all human beings are due to acquisition of wealth, preservation of wealth and exhaustion of wealth.
For the sake of acquiring wealth, people suffer great pains, commit murders; and when wealth passes away, they suffer pains again, for they have given protection to the enemy, wealth.
Stretch (a bow) to the very full,
And you will wish you had stopped in time.
Temper a (sword-edge) to its very sharpest,
And the edge will not last long.
When gold and jade fill your hall,
You will not be able to keep them safe.
To be proud with wealth and honor
Is to sow the seeds of one's own downfall.
Retire when your work is done,
Such is heaven's way.
The five colors blind the eyes of man;
The five musical notes deafen the ears of man;
The five flavors dull the taste of man;
Horse-racing, hunting, and chasing madden the minds of man;
Rare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.
Therefore the Sage:
Provides for the belly and not for the eye.
Hence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.
Thus, and excessive love for anything will cost you dear in the end.
The storing up of too much goods will entail a heavy loss.
To know when you have enough is to be immune from disgrace.
To know when to stop is to be preserved from perils.
Only thus can you endure long.
One of Junaid's followers came to him with a purse containing five hundred gold pieces.
"Have you any more money than this?" asked the Sufi.
"Yes, I have."
"Do you desire more?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then you must keep it, for you are more in need than I; for I have nothing and desire nothing. You have a great deal and still want more."
The sage should be satisfied with merely ministering to the vital functions and not with things pleasing to the senses, so that knowledge may not be destroyed and the mind and speech frittered away.
The Brahmana said:
The acquisition of anything whatsoever that men hold as dearest leads to misery. But he who knows this and gives up all possessions attains to endless bliss.
The Master said, "The object of the superior man is truth. Food is not his object. The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth; he is not anxious lest poverty come upon him."
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© Copyright 1996 by Joseph Morales