Being Poor

Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

`None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.

`Happy the poor in spirit--because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

and as ye wish that men may do to you, do ye also to them in like manner;

And Jesus having looked upon him, did love him, and said to him, `One thing thou dost lack; go away, whatever thou hast--sell, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me, having taken up the cross.'

for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that because of you he became poor--being rich, that ye by that poverty may become rich.

`All things, therefore, whatever ye may will that men may be doing to you, so also do to them, for this is the law and the prophets.

Jesus said to him, `If thou dost will to be perfect, go away, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.'

for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling <FI>them<Fi> , were bringing the prices of the thing sold, — read the full passage →

and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, `Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things--as many as thou hast--sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;'

`No domestic is able to serve two lords, for either the one he will hate, and the other he will love; or one he will hold to, and of the other he will be heedless; ye are not able to serve God and mammon.'

`The Spirit of the Lord <FI>is<Fi> upon me, Because He did anoint me; To proclaim good news to the poor, Sent me to heal the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives deliverance, And to blind receiving of sight, To send away the bruised with deliverance,

these things I have spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but take courage--I have overcome the world.'

religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation--unspotted to keep himself from the world.

but what have ye gone forth to see? a man in soft garments clothed? lo, they in splendid apparellings, and living in luxury, are in the houses of kings! — read the full passage →

And he, having lifted up his eyes to his disciples, said: `Happy the poor--because yours is the reign of God. — read the full passage →

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, turned back from the Jordan, and was brought in the Spirit to the wilderness, — read the full passage →

I have known both to be abased, and I have known to abound; in everything and in all things I have been initiated, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want.

I have known thy works, and tribulation, and poverty--yet thou art rich--and the evil-speaking of those saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but <FI>are<Fi> a synagogue of the Adversary.