At this, he permitted him to be baptized. When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

So whenever you give to the poor, don't blow a trumpet before you like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they will be praised by people. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

"And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

"When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the unbelievers do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.

Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"Whenever you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites, because they put on sad faces to show others they are fasting. I tell all of you with certainty, they have their full reward!

but I tell you that not even Solomon in all of his splendor was clothed like one of them.

"Therefore, everyone who listens to these messages of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.

"Everyone who keeps on hearing these messages of mine and never puts them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

because he was teaching them like a person who had authority, and not like their scribes.

As soon as the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!"

When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

"Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.

It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they do the same to those of his household!"

"To what can I compare the people living today? They're like little children who sit in the marketplaces and shout to each other,

He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom from heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.

He told them another parable: "The kingdom from heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"

"The kingdom from heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field."

"Again, the kingdom from heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

"Again, the kingdom from heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish.

Then he told them, "That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest."

His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.

He told them, "Because of your lack of faith. I tell all of you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

Then he said, "I tell all of you with certainty, unless you change and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from heaven.

and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me."

Jesus, however, said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to people like these."

"The kingdom from heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

But Jesus called the disciples and said, "You know that the rulers of the unbelievers lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them.

because in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.

The second is exactly like it: "You must love your neighbor as yourself.'

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.

"Similarly, it is like a man going on a trip, who called his servants and turned his money over to them.

All the nations will be assembled in front of him, and he will cull them out, one from another, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats.