Page 415 - Bible History

388 CHRIST'S TEA INGS, MIRA ES AND CHURCH
loved themselves more than they loved God, and be­ cause they loved themselves, they loved only those people who were friendly to them and who did them favors. Now, Jesus did not come to destroy the Law of ses, but to explain it to the people and show them how to obey it as perfectly as possible. He said, "You Jiavc heard that it hath been said, 'Love your neigh­ bors and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, 'Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that calumniate you, that you may all be children of your Father ·who is in Heaven, \Vho maketh His sun to rise upon the goo and the bad, and sendeth His rain upon the jus and the unjust. For if you love them that love you,
what reward shall you have? Do not even the publi­ cans do this! And if you salute your brothers only, you are doing no more than the heathens. And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are due to you, for sinners also do this. Be ye, therefore, merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful.''
One day, Simon Peter asked our Savior, "How often must I forgive my brother who o endeth against me, seven t esT'' Jesus answered, ''Not seven times, but seventy times seven times.
''For the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a king who wished to take an account of his servants. One was brought to him that owed him ten thousand talents.
The servant had no money to pay at he owed, so the king commanded that he should be sold and his wife and his children with him and all that he owned, in
The
order that pa ent might be made. "But the serv,