Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount — Giving to the Needy, Prayer, and Fasting, Comparison with Other World Religions

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Jesus’ teachings on “Giving to the Needy, Prayer, and Fasting” (Matthew 6:1–18) from the Sermon on the Mount emphasize the importance of sincerity and humility in religious practices. These teachings encourage genuine devotion and altruism rather than seeking recognition from others. Here are quotes from various religious traditions that resonate with these concepts:

Buddhism

Dhammapada: “A family is nourished by generosity. A gentle and virtuous person becomes a repository of good works.” (Dhammapada 1:8)
Buddha: “If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” (Itivuttaka 26)

Hinduism

Bhagavad Gita: “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give away, and whatever austerity you perform — do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.” (Bhagavad Gita 9:27)
Upanishads: “Give with faith; do not give without faith; give with love; give with joy; give with humility; give with fear; give with kindness.” (Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11.3)

Islam

Quran: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain that sprouts seven ears; in every ear, there are a hundred grains.” (Quran 2:261)
Hadith: “The Prophet said, ‘The best charity is that given in secret, and the best of prayers is that in which the individual prays in the privacy of his home.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Judaism

Proverbs: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17)
Talmud: “Charity is equal in importance to all the other commandments combined.” (Baba Bathra 9a)

Taoism

Tao Te Ching: “A kind person is kind to all. A truthful person speaks the truth to all.” (Tao Te Ching 49)
Chuang Tzu: “Great wisdom appears to be foolish, but it is the way to live in harmony with the Tao. Those who practice it are like a valley in which streams of water flow naturally, benefiting all things.” (Chuang Tzu, Chapter 4)

Sikhism

Guru Granth Sahib: “He alone is a devotee who looks upon gold and dust alike. He alone is a devotee who renounces egotism and conceit. He alone is a devotee who sheds his desires.” (Guru Granth Sahib 1426)
Guru Nanak: “Through selfless service, eternal peace is obtained. The Lord’s Name vibrates and resonates within the mind.” (Guru Granth Sahib 125)

Confucianism

Confucius: “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.” (Analects 8:13)
Mencius: “He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.” (Mencius 7A:4)

Zoroastrianism

Avesta: “He who sows the ground with care and diligence acquires a greater stock of religious merit than he could gain by the repetition of ten thousand prayers.” (Vendidad 3:30)
Zarathustra: “One who plants trees, does good deeds, and speaks the truth serves the world.” (Gathas 33:14)

Jainism

Acaranga Sutra: “One who neglects the rule of conduct tarnishes his own soul and is shunned by the virtuous.” (Acaranga Sutra 1.2.4)
Tattvartha Sutra: “The soul is purified by fasting, charity, austerity, and truthful living.” (Tattvartha Sutra 9.19)

Shinto

Kojiki: “Do not forget that harmony with the Kami is found through adherence to the proper ways of conduct.”
Nihon Shoki: “The will of the Kami is made known through righteous living and proper observance of the rites.”

Ancient Egyptian Religion

Book of the Dead: “I have given bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked and a boat to the shipwrecked.” (Chapter 125)
Maxims of Ptahhotep: “If you want friendship to endure in the house you enter, the common rule, both here and there, is: respect him who is in it, and not him who is outside it.” (Maxim 1)

Ancient Greek Religion

Heraclitus: “Character is fate.” (Fragment 119)
Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” (Apology 38a)

Sufism

Rumi: “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” (Masnavi)
Hafiz: “Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky.” (Divan of Hafiz)

Native American Spirituality

Black Elk: “The Great Spirit is in all things: he is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground she returns to us.”
Chief Seattle: “Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.”

Bahá’í Faith

Bahá’u’lláh: “To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.” (Hidden Words)
Abdu’l-Bahá: “The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Bahá)

Resonance with Jesus’ Teachings on Giving to the Needy, Prayer, and Fasting

Giving to the Needy

Judaism: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17) This underscores the spiritual merit of helping those in need.
Islam: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain that sprouts seven ears…” (Quran 2:261) Highlights the spiritual blessings of charity.

Prayer

Buddhism: “If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” (Itivuttaka 26) Emphasizes sincere and mindful practices.
Hinduism: “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give away, and whatever austerity you perform — do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.” (Bhagavad Gita 9:27) Encourages devotional actions dedicated to the divine.

Fasting

Jainism: “The soul is purified by fasting, charity, austerity, and truthful living.” (Tattvartha Sutra 9.19) Highlights fasting as a means of spiritual purification.
Zoroastrianism: “He who sows the ground with care and diligence acquires a greater stock of religious merit than he could gain by the repetition of ten thousand prayers.” (Vendidad 3:30) Suggests that sincere actions hold more merit than mere ritualistic practices.

These quotes from various traditions highlight a universal emphasis on sincerity in devotion, the importance of humility in religious practices, and the ethical imperative to care for others. They resonate deeply with Jesus’ teachings on giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting, advocating for genuine spirituality and altruism.