What did Jesus say about Honesty?

¹⁴ “To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things:

¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.

¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

¹⁹ As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me.

²¹ He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

¹⁶ “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’

¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’

¹⁹ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

²⁰ He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.

²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.

²² He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.

¹¹ “A certain man had two sons.

¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

¹³ Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

¹⁴ When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵ He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

¹⁶ He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

¹⁷ But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰ “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

²³ Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

²⁴ for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.

²⁷ He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’

²⁸ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.

²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

³⁰ But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

³² But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”

¹⁴ “But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” […] “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,

¹⁵ and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house.

¹⁶ Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak.

¹⁷ But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days!

¹⁸ Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter.

¹⁹ For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.

²⁰ Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.

²¹ Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.

²² For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

²³ But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.

³¹ “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.

³² You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

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Narration or other speakers' words are omitted to show Jesus' words. Read in context for the full passage.

³⁴ “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.

³⁵ A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.

³⁶ If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

³⁸ I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

²³ Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

²⁴ When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

²⁵ But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶ The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’

²⁷ The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

²⁹ “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

³⁰ He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.

³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

³² Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

³³ Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

³⁴ His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵ So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

³⁹ “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

⁴⁰ You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?

⁴¹ But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.

⁴² But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

⁴⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”

⁸ “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them.

⁹ When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won’t come immediately.”

¹⁰ “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

¹² But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

¹³ It will turn out as a testimony for you.

¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,

¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

¹⁶ You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.

¹⁷ You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.

¹⁸ And not a hair of your head will perish.

¹⁹ “By your endurance you will win your lives.

⁴⁶ “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.

⁴⁷ Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

⁴⁸ So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

⁴⁹ Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute,

⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,

⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

⁵² Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.

¹⁶ But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.

¹⁸ Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.

¹⁹ Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.

²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”