After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!

When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.

Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.

“Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.

“Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!

Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye?

Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

When the demon had been driven out, the man spoke. And the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd.

“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.

It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces.

This is the one it is written about:

Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You;
he will prepare Your way before You.

“To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!

The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look—something greater than Solomon is here!

Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”

Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.

He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen!

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish,

“Therefore,” He said to them, “every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.”

He was transformed in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light.

“I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me.

“See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven.

If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you.

He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning.

His disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry!”

Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.”

“I have kept all these,” the young man told Him. “What do I still lack?”

Then Peter responded to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?”

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.

The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity.

“If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it!

So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.

“For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them.

The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’

“Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’

So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’

Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy!

His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow.

The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.