And as soon as Jesus was baptized, He at once went up out of the water, and look! the heavens opened, and John saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove upon Him,

"Also, whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, to attract the attention of people. I solemnly say to you, they already have their reward.

So then you must not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

"Also whenever you fast, you must not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on a gloomy countenance, to let people see them fasting. I solemnly say to you, they already have their reward.

Take a good look at the wild birds, for they do not sow or reap, or store up food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps on feeding them. Are you not worth more than they?

And why should you worry about clothes? Look at the wild lilies and learn how they grow. They do not toil or spin;

but I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his gorgeous splendor, was ever dressed up like a single one of these.

Then you must practice dealing with others as you would like for them to deal with you, for this is the summing up of the law and the prophets.

"Look out for false prophets, who come to you under the guise of sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.

"So everyone who listens to my words and practices their teaching, will be like a prudent man who built his house on a rocky foundation.

And anyone who listens to my words and does not practice their teaching, will be like an imprudent man who built his house on sand.

and after the demon had been driven out, the dumb man could talk. So the crowds were dumbfounded, saying, "Never before among the Jews was anything like this?

When He saw the crowds, His heart was moved with pity for them, because they were tired and scattered like sheep without a shepherd.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves.

The pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and the slave should be satisfied to become like his master. If men have called the Head of the house Beelzebub, how much worse names will they heap upon the members of His family!

"But to what can I compare the leaders of this age? They are like little children sitting in the market places and calling to their fellows in the game,

The Son of Man came eating and drinking with others, and they say, 'Just look at Him! A glutton and a wine-drinker, a chum of tax-collectors and notorious sinners!' And yet wisdom is vindicated by her doings!"

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Just look! Your disciples are doing something that it is against the law to do on the sabbath!"

Then He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." And he held it out, and it was cured so that it became like the other.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him as follows: "Teacher, we would like to see a spectacular sign given by you."

This is why I am speaking to them in stories, because they look but do not see, they listen but do not really hear or understand.

So in them the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "'You will listen and listen and not understand, and you will look and look and never see at all,

He told them another story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed seed in his field.

Then the upright will shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears listen!

"The kingdom of heaven is like a pot of gold which was buried in a field, which a man found and buried again; and for joy over it he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a gem-dealer who was looking for beautiful pearls.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was let down into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind,

He said to them, "Every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who can bring out of his storeroom new furnishings as well as old."

He did not do many wonder-works there, because of their lack of faith.

And Jesus said to them, "Look out, and keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!"

And I, yes I, tell you, your name from now on is to be Peter, Rock, and on a massive rock like this I will build my church, and the powers of the underworld shall never overthrow it.

And in their presence His appearance was changed and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes turned as white as light.

He answered them, "Because you have so little faith! For I solemnly say to you, if you have the faith that is living like a grain of mustard, you can say to this mountain, 'Move over from here to yonder,' and it will move over, and nothing will be impossible for you to do."

and said: "I solemnly say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you can never get into the kingdom of heaven at all.

and whoever welcomes one little child like this for my sake welcomes me.

"Be careful not to look with scorn on a single one of these little children, for I tell you that in heaven their angels have uninterrupted access to my Father in heaven.

The young man said, "I have kept all these commandments; what more do I lack?"

"For the kingdom of heaven is like an owner of an estate who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a king, who gave a wedding reception for his son.

But when the king came in to take a look at the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding suit.

The second is like it: 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.'

and they like the places of honor at feasts and the front seats in synagogues,

"A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead people's bones and everything that is unclean!

Jesus answered, "Look out that no one misleads you about it,

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

"For it is just like a man who was going on a long journey from his homeland, who called to him his slaves and turned his property over to them.

when I was a stranger you did not welcome me to your homes, when I needed clothes you did not put them on me, when I was sick and in prison, you did not look after me.'

Get up and let us be going. Look! Here comes my betrayer!"

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to get a look at the tomb.

The men on guard trembled in awe of him, and became like dead men.

He is not here; He has risen, as He said He would do. Come, get a look at the place where He was lying.

And just as soon as He started to come up out of the water, He saw the heavens split open and the Spirit coming down like a dove to enter Him.

And they were dumbfounded at His teaching, for He was teaching them like one who had authority to teach, and not like the scribes.

Then he got up and at once picked up his pallet, and went out before them all. The result was that they were all dumbfounded and began to praise God and say, "We have never seen anything like this before."

So the Pharisees were saying to Him, "Just look! Why are they doing on the Sabbath what it is against the law to do?"

'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest, perchance, they should turn and be forgiven.'"

In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy,

He also was saying: "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground,

It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all seeds,

With many stories like these He kept on telling them the message, as far as they could understand it.

And He wondered at their lack of faith in Him. Then He made a circle of the villages and continued teaching.

But others were saying that He was Elijah, and still others that He was a prophet like the prophets of old.

The king, although exceedingly sorry, yet on account of his oath and his guests, did not like to refuse her,

But many people saw them start and knew of it and ran around the lake from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

So when He got out of the boat, He saw a great crowd waiting, and His heart was moved with pity at the sight of them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and so He proceeded to teach them a number of things.

and so you set aside what God has said by what you have handed down. You have many other practices like these."

Then He kept warning them by saying, "Look out! Keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

He looked up and answered, "I see the people, but they look to me like trees moving around."

Then He asked his father, "How long has he been like this?" He answered, "From his childhood;

The boy's father at once cried out and said, "I do have faith; help my lack of faith!"

Then it gave a shriek and violently convulsed the boy, and got out of him. And the boy looked like a corpse, so much so that the people said that he was dead.

"Whoever, as a disciple of mine, welcomes one little child like this, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not merely me but Him who sent me."

Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing. Go, sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come back and follow me."

And Peter remembered about it, and said to Him, "Look, Teacher! The fig tree which you cursed has withered!"

Should we pay it, or should we not?" Now because He saw their pretense, He said to them, "Why are you testing me so? Bring me a twenty-cent coin to look at."

And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places,

As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Look, Teacher! What stupendous stones, what beautiful buildings!"

Jesus began to say to them: "Look out that no one misleads you about it.

"If anyone says to you at that time, 'Look! Here is the Christ,' or, 'Look! There He is,' do not believe it.

It will be like a man who leaves his home and goes on a journey, after he has given orders to his slaves, to each his particular task, and has given orders to the watchman to keep watch.

Get up, let us be going. Look! here comes my betrayer!"

Later on He appeared to the Eleven themselves while they were at table, and reproved them for their lack of faith and their stubbornness, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had been raised from the dead.

As day broke He left the house and went to a lonely spot, and the crowds continued to look for Him; they overtook Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them.

Once as the crowd was pressing against Him to hear the message of God, He found Himself standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret.

Then He saw two boats lying up on the shore of the lake, but the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

Yes, you must practice dealing with others as you would like them to deal with you.

A pupil is not better than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher.

Why do you continue to look at the tiny speck in your brother's eye, but pay no attention to the heavy girder in your own eye?

Everyone who comes to me and continues to listen to my words and practices their teachings, I will show you whom he is like.

He is like a man who was building a house, who dug deep, and laid its foundation upon the rock; and when a flood came, the torrent burst upon that house but it could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the man who merely hears them and does not practice them is like a man who built a house upon the ground without a foundation. The torrent burst upon it, and at once it collapsed, and the wreck of that house was complete."

As He approached the gate of the town, look, there was being carried out a dead man, his mother's only son, and she was a widow! A considerable crowd of townspeople were with her.

So John called two of them to him and sent them to the Lord, to ask, "Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?"

So the men went to Him and said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the One who was to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?'"

So to what can I compare the men of this age, and what are they like?

They are like little children sitting in the market-place and calling to their fellows in the game: "'We played the wedding march for you, but you did not dance. We sang the funeral dirge, but you did not mourn.'

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking with others, and yet you say, 'Just look at Him! A glutton and a wine-drinker, an intimate friend of tax-collectors and notorious sinners!'

So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand.

One day He got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail.

Now as they were sailing along, He fell off to sleep. But a furious squall of wind rushed down upon the lake, and they were filling up and were in impending peril.