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Jesus 365 - March March 1 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths that you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: Either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Mt5:33-37 m March 2 You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Mt5:38-39 (Exodus 21:24 / Leviticus 24:20 / Deuteronomy 19:21) / L6:29 m March 3 If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, do not stop him from taking your cloak as well. Mt5:40 / L6:29 m March 4 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Mt5:41 m March 5 Give to everyone who asks you, and do not turn away anyone who wants to borrow from you, and do not demand it back. Mt5:42 / L6:30 m March 6 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Mt5:43-45 / L6:27-28 (Leviticus 19:18) m March 7 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even the tax collectors and 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners', expecting to be repaid in full. Mt5:46-47 / L6:32-34 m March 8 Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be perfect in mercy, therefore, just as your heavenly Father is perfect in mercy. L6:35-36 / Mt5:48 m March 9 Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Mt6:1 m March 10 When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Mt6:2-4 m March 11 When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Mt6:5-6 m March 12 When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Mt6:7-8 m March 13 This is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today and each day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts and sins, for we also forgive our debtors and everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.' Mt6:9-13 / L11:2-4 m March 14 If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Mt6:14-15 m March 15 When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Mt6:16-17 m March 16 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven that will not be exhausted, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Mt6:19-21 / L12:33-34 m March 17 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Mt6:22-23 m March 18 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Mt6:24 m March 19 I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Mt6:25 / L12:22-23 m March 20 Look at the birds of the air, consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, for they have no storeroom or barn, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Mt6:26 / L12:24 m March 21 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Mt6:27 / L12:25-26 m March 22 Why do you worry about your clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. Mt6:28-29 / L12:27 m March 23 If God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! Mt6:30/L12:28 m March 24 Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, a d all these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Mt6:31-33 / L12:29-31 m March 25 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Mt6:34 m March 26 Do not judge, and you too will not be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged. Do not condemn, and you too will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Mt7:1-2 / L6:37-38 m March 27 Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. L6:39-40 m March 28 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank that is all the time in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Mt7:3-5 / L6:41-42 m March 29 Do not give to dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Mt7:6 m March 30 Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. L11:5-10 / Mt7:7-8 m March 31 Which one of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts and the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Mt7:9-11 / L11:11-13 m
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