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Sermons and Parables of Jesus

The Sermon on the Mount &
The Parable of the Sower

The Age-of-the-Sage Home Page features a contribution to ~ The Faith vs Reason Debate ~ which is presented as being consistent with such Sermons and Parables of Jesus as The Sermon on the Mount and The Parable of the Sower.

As part of that ~ Faith vs Reason Debate ~ presentation a brief selection of quotations is featured that are suggested of as being "Central Spiritual Insights."

This " Sermons and Parables of Jesus " page is devoted to presenting justifications of our selection of those particular quotations as proposed "Central Spiritual Insights" and to showing how it might be possible to refer principally to The Sermon on the Mount and The Parable of the Sower but also to other Sermons and Parables of Jesus in such an identification of "Central Spiritual Insights" and a credible, faith-affirming, contribution to the Faith vs Reason Debate.

A presentation of the proposed "Central Spiritual Insights" now follows together with brief selections from The Sermon on the Mount and The Parable of the Sower which we hope will tend to justify our selection of those Insights as being both "Central" and highly relevant to the Faith vs Reason debate.

A selection of
~ "Central Spiritual Insights?" ~
gathered from Christian sources

These Christian quotations have been selected based on their inherent Spirtual Impact, (rather than whether they might be deemed to be Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox), and come from The King James Bible and from the 'Of the Imitation of Christ'; a fifteenth century devotional work that has long been the second most widely read Christian book after The Bible itself.
A Disdain for Materialism
Some have Me in their mouths, but little in their hearts.
  There are others who, being enlightened in their understanding and purified in their affection, always breathe after things eternal, are unwilling to hear of earthly things, and grieve to be subject to the necessities of nature; and such as these perceive what the Spirit of Truth speaketh in them.
  For it teacheth them to despise the things of the earth and to love heavenly things; to disregard the world, and all the day and night to aspire after heaven.

Thomas a Kempis - Of the Imitation of Christ Book 3 Ch. 4 v. 4

A Distrust of Intellect
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

St. Paul

Spiritual Insights are possible!
It is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
...the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

St. Paul

Charity
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

St. John

Purity of Heart
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke ...

St. Paul

Humility
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whomsoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Jesus

Meekness
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

St. James



The Sermons and Parables of Jesus :-

The Sermon on the Mount

According the Wikipedia in early November 2013:-
The Sermon on the Mount (anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: Sermo in monte) is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6 and 7). It is the first of the Five Discourses of Matthew and takes place relatively early in the Ministry of Jesus after he has been baptized by John the Baptist and preached in Galilee.

The Sermon is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the New Testament, and has been one of the most widely quoted elements of the Canonical Gospels. It includes some of the best known teachings of Jesus, such as the Beatitudes, and the widely recited Lord's Prayer. To most believers in Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship.

The last verse of chapter 5 is considered to be a focal point that summarizes the teaching of the sermon: "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect", advising his disciples and followers to seek the path towards perfection and the Kingdom of God.



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The Sermon on the Mount can be regarded as being composed of several themes including -


An invocation towards leading a spiritually centered life


An encouragement of mild forbearance


A litany against materialistic worldliness


An invocation towards leading
a spiritually centered life

  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
  "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Matthew 5: 1-19




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The Parable of the Sower

According the Wikipedia in early November 2013:-
The Parable of the Sower is the one of the parables of Jesus found in three (often called the Synoptic Gospels) out of the four Canonical gospels and in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas. In this story, a sower dropped seed on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns, and the seed was lost; but when seed fell on good earth, it grew, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
The Parable of the Sower is, perhaps, the most "Enlightenment" related teaching of Jesus!!!

  And he began to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was beside the sea on the land.
  And he taught them many things by parables, and he said unto them in his doctrine,
  Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
  And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
  And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred.
  And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

By way of fuller explanation Jesus said:-

  The sower soweth the word (i.e. of God).
  And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
  And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness;
  And have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
  And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
  And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
  For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was anything secret, but that it should come abroad.
Jesus' teaching ~ as set out in St Mark's gospel Chapter 4

This "Parable of the Sower" could be said to suggest that Enlightenment does not appear to be Intellectual but may principally arise from keeping to spiritual teachings!!!