"For all these are things that the Gentiles are eagerly seeking; for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all. "But continue to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

"but the gate is narrow and the road is steep, which leads to life, and they are few who find it.

"not even a bag for the journey, or a change of clothes, or sandals, or even a stick; for the worker is worth his rations.

"the lame are walking, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised up, and the gospel is being preached to the poor.

"For it is like a man going into another country, who summoned his slaves, and committed his property to their care.

When it was eventide, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Josephus, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?"

Jesus loved him as he looked at him, and said: "One thing you lack. Go, sell all you have and give to the poor; and you shall have wealth in heaven; and come, follow me."

but shall receive a hundred times as much, now in this present world, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands??nd persecutions with them??nd in the world to come eternal life.

Then raising his eyes upon his disciples he began to say to them. "Blessed are you poor, For the kingdom of God is yours.

and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many other women, who used to minister to him out of their substance.

"Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and do not salute any one on your journey.

"But God said to him. 'Foolish man! This very night your soul is wanted! And these things you have prepared, whose shall they be? "So is he that lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."

"And to you I say, Use mammon, dishonest as it is, to make yourselves friends, so that when it shall fail they will welcome you to the eternal tabernacles.

"Now there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and made merry every day in splendor.

There was a man there, called Zaccheus, who was a chief of the tax-gatherers, and was wealthy.

But Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, "I give half my property to the poor, Lord, and if I have defrauded any man of anything I am restoring it to him fourfold." "Today is salvation come to this house," said Jesus "since Zaccheus here is a son of Abraham.

So he said: "A certain nobleman went abroad to receive for himself royal power and to return.

Then he said to them. "But now let him who has a purse take it, and he who has a wallet, let him the do the same. And he who has no sword, let him sell his cloak and buy one.

Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink" (for his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.)

Now no one at the table understood why he said this to him,

And all the believers were together, and had all things in common. They would sell their lands and other property, and distribute the proceeds among all, just as any one from time had need.

Nor was there any one of them in want, for all who owned houses or lands would sell them and bring the price of the things that were sold, and lay it at the apostles' feet; and distribution would be made to each according to his need. read more. In this way Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas ("Son of Encouragement" is what it means), who was a native Cyprus, sold a farm which he had, and brought the price, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

"While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was not the price at your own disposal? How could you conceive this act in your heart? You have not lied unto men, but unto God."

He gathered them together with others of like occupation, and said: "Men, you know that by this business we make our money.

For physical training is of some small service, but godliness is of service in everything; since it carries with it a promise of life, both here and hereafter.

Those who desire to be rich fall into the snares of temptation and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil; and in their eager desire to be rich some have been led astray form the faith, and have pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Charge the rich of this world not to be supercilious, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in God, who provides all things richly for our use. Charge them to practise benevolence, to be rich in good works, to be open-handed and generous, read more. laying up right good treasure for themselves in the world to come, in order that they may obtain the Life which is life indeed.

My brothers, do not hold the faith of the Lord Jesus, the Lord of Glory, in a spirit of caste. Suppose a man comes into your synagogue with a gold ring and dazzling clothes, and suppose a poor man comes in, also, in shabby clothes, read more. and you look up to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, "Sit here in this fine place!" and to the poor man you say, "Stand there!" or "Sit on the floor at my feet!" are you not drawing distinctions among yourselves, and have you not become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you to court? Are they not blaspheming that glorious Name by which you are called? If you are keeping the royal law, which says, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself, you are doing well.

Go to now, you rich men! Weep aloud, howl for the miseries which are about to come upon you! For your riches lie rotting, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. read more. Your gold and silver are rusted. and their rust will be for a testimony against you, and it will eat your flesh. For you have been storing up fire in these last days! Look! the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have been keeping back by fraud, are crying aloud! And the cries of the reapers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth! You have lived luxuriously on earth, you have taken your pleasure, you have fattened your hearts for a day of slaughter.

For you keep saying, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and do not know that you are the wretched one, and pitiable and beggared and blind and naked.