The Words of Jesus

A Gospel of the Sayings of Our Lord

Phyllis Tickle

• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781506454832
• eBook ISBN:
  9781506454849
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Reference

What if you could encounter the words of Jesus on their own, lifted up from the surrounding narratives and presented in their full power and mystery? That's the question Phyllis Tickle--one of America's most beloved writers on Christian spirituality--asked when she set out to write what she calls a "sayings gospel." In The Words of Jesus, Tickle has compiled and arranged all the sayings of Jesus from the first four books of the New Testament and the first chapter of Acts in a way that creates an entirely new kind of encounter with the texts. And she accompanies those sayings with her own personal reflections and commentaries not just on the words themselves but on the One who spoke them.

A Gospel of the Sayings of Our Lord

BOOK I: The Words of Public Teaching

1 The opening proclamation

Jesus said, ‘‘The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the good news.’’

2 The opening statement of mission and of His place in Scripture

Jesus, when He was asked to read from the book of Isaiah in Sabbath services, opened to the words, ‘‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,’’ and said to those gathered there, ‘‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

‘‘Doubtless you will quote to me this saying, ‘Physi-cian, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.’ But truly I say to you that no prophet is without honor except in his own country. For consider, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up for three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land. Now, Elijah was sent to none of them except to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were likewise many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’’

3 The relationship between Father and Son, and with Their work

Jesus said, ‘‘I tell you most emphatically that the Son can do nothing of himself, but only what he sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son does in like manner. The Father loves the Son and shows him all things that He himself is doing; and He will show him greater works than these, so that you may marvel.

‘‘Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no man or woman, but rather has given all judgment over to the Son, in order that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and yet does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Anyone who rejects me and does not receive my words already has a judge; on the last day, the words I have spoken will serve as judge. For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father has given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak, and I know His commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has spoken. ‘‘I tell you in truth that the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live; for as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself; and He has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

‘‘I myself, of myself, can do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is fair, because I do not seek to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. If I testify about myself, then my testimony is not true. But there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that his witness about me is true. You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth. Yet I do not receive affirmation from man, but rather, I say these things so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has Himself testified on my behalf. You have neither heard His voice nor seen His form, and you do not have His word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom He has sent. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and these are they that testify of me; yet you are unwilling to come to me that you might have life.

‘‘I do not receive honor from men; but I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if another comes in his own name, him you will accept. How can you believe when you accept honor from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father! Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?’’

4 The Blessings and the Beatitudes

Jesus said, ‘‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness now, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh and be comforted. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you shall be satisfied. 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 sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and exclude you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice in that day! Leap for joy and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so their fathers persecuted the prophets who were before you.

‘‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

‘‘But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who persecute you.’’

5 The description of those who can follow Him

Jesus said, ‘‘You are the salt of the earth. Salt is good, and every one will be salted with fire. But if the salt has lost its savor, how can it become salty again? Indeed, it is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out, trampled down, walked on. Let him who has ears, listen: Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

‘‘You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket or under a bed, but rather on a lamp stand and it gives light to all the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. For there is nothing hidden, except to be made manifest, nor is anything secret, except that it may be made known and come into the light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.’’

6 The place of the Law in His Kingdom

Jesus said, ‘‘Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Indeed, it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one iota of the law to become null and void. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men to do so shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’’

7 The correct interpretation of the Law and its application

Jesus said, ‘‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with another shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults another shall be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to hellfire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that someone has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go first and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.’’

8 New ways of living and being for citizens of His domain

Jesus said, ‘‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at another lustfully has already committed adultery in his or her heart. So if your right eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of yourself, better for you to enter life with one eye and maimed than with two eyes to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose that one part of your body, better for you to enter life with one hand and maimed than to have two hands and have the whole of you to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into the abyss where the worm does not die and the fire is never quenched.

‘‘Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you are on your way to go before the magistrate, make friends quickly with your adversary lest he or she hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the authorities, and you end up in jail; for truly I say to you that you will not escape from there until you have paid out your last penny.

‘‘And again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord whatever it is you have sworn.’ But I say to you do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your own head, for you cannot make one hair on it white or black. But let your yes be yes and your no simply no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.

‘‘You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you do not resist evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, offer to him the other as well; and if anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And with whoever is compelling you to go a mile, go two. Give to every one who begs from you; don’t turn away from someone who is seeking to borrow from you; and from anyone who has taken your property, do not ask for its return.’’

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Epigraph
• Table Of Contents
• Reflections on the Words of Jesus
• A Gospel of the Sayings of Our Lord
• Acknowledgments
• The Author
• Index to Canonical Sources
• Index to Key Words and Major Themes
• A Reader’s Guide for The Words of Jesus