Giving to Needy People

6 “Be careful not to do good deeds in front of other people. Don’t do those deeds to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.

² “When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ³ When you give to needy people, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.

Prayer

⁵ “When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ⁶ When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly. ⁷ When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. ⁸ Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.

⁹ “This is how you should pray.

¹⁴ Forgive other people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive the sins of other people, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

¹⁶ “When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces look very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ¹⁷ But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. ¹⁸ Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.

Gather Riches in Heaven

¹⁹ “Do not gather for yourselves riches on earth. Moths and rats can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. ²⁰ Instead, gather for yourselves riches in heaven. There, moths and rats do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. ²¹ Your heart will be where your riches are.

²² “The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are healthy. Then your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But suppose your eyes can’t see well. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? ²⁷ Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. ²⁹ But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all his royal robes was dressed like one of these flowers. ³⁰ If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? Your faith is so small! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. ³¹ So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ ³² People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. ³³ But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you. ³⁴ So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk

9 Jesus stepped into a boat. He went over to the other side of the lake and came to his own town. ² Some men brought to him a man who could not walk. He was lying on a mat. Jesus saw that they had faith. So he said to the man, “Don’t lose hope, son. Your sins are forgiven.”

³ Then some teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is saying a very evil thing!”

⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, “Why do you have evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’? Or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he spoke to the man who could not walk. “Get up,” he said. “Take your mat and go home.” ⁷ The man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with wonder. They praised God for giving that kind of authority to a human being.

Jesus Chooses Matthew and Eats With Sinners

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him. Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ Later Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners came. They ate with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ The Pharisees saw this. So they asked the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² Jesus heard this. So he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a doctor. Sick people do. ¹³ Go and learn what this means, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ (Hosea 6:6) I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me.”

Jesus Is Asked About Fasting

¹⁴ One day John’s disciples came. They said to Jesus, “We and the Pharisees often go without eating. Why don’t your disciples go without eating?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the groom be sad while he is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

¹⁶ “People don’t sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. The new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse. ¹⁷ People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst. The wine will run out, and the wineskins will be destroyed. No, people pour new wine into new wineskins. Then both are saved.”

Jesus Heals a Dead Girl and a Suffering Woman

¹⁸ While Jesus was saying this, a synagogue leader came. He got down on his knees in front of Jesus. He said, “My daughter has just died. But come and place your hand on her. Then she will live again.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him. So did his disciples.

²⁰ Just then a woman came up behind Jesus. She had a sickness that made her bleed. It had lasted for 12 years. She touched the edge of his clothes. ²¹ She thought, “I only need to touch his clothes. Then I will be healed.”

²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Dear woman, don’t give up hope,” he said. “Your faith has healed you.” The woman was healed at that moment.

²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house, he saw the noisy crowd and people playing flutes. ²⁴ He said, “Go away. The girl is not dead. She is sleeping.” But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in. He took the girl by the hand, and she got up. ²⁶ News about what Jesus had done spread all over that area.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him. They called out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸ When Jesus went indoors, the blind men came to him. He asked them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes. He said, “It will happen to you just as you believed.” ³⁰ They could now see again. Jesus strongly warned them, “Be sure that no one knows about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news. They talked about him all over that area.

³² While they were going out, another man was brought to Jesus. A demon controlled him, and he could not speak. ³³ When the demon was driven out, the man spoke. The crowd was amazed. They said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the power of the prince of demons.”

There Are Only a Few Workers

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues. He preached the good news of the kingdom. And he healed every illness and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he felt deep concern for them. They were treated badly and were helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is huge. But there are only a few workers. ³⁸ So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest field.”

Jesus Gives Words of Warning and Hope

12 During that time a crowd of many thousands had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on one another. Jesus spoke first to his disciples. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees,” he said. “They just pretend to be godly. ² Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. What you have whispered to someone behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops.

⁴ “My friends, listen to me. Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t do any more than that. ⁵ I will show you whom you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you have been killed. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him. ⁶ Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them. ⁷ In fact, he even counts every hair on your head! So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

⁸ “What about someone who says in front of others that he knows me? I tell you, the Son of Man will say in front of God’s angels that he knows that person. ⁹ But what about someone who says in front of others that he doesn’t know me? I, the Son of Man, will say in front of God’s angels that I don’t know him. ¹⁰ Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “You will be brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities. But do not worry about how to stand up for yourselves or what to say. ¹² The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

The Story of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “tell my brother to divide the family property with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge or umpire between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against wanting to have more and more things. Life is not made up of how much a person has.”

¹⁶ Then Jesus told them a story. He said, “A certain rich man’s land produced a very large crop. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have any place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. I will store my extra grain in them. ¹⁹ I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain stored away for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink and have a good time.” ’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You foolish man! Tonight I will take your life away from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “That is how it will be for whoever stores things away for themselves but is not rich in the sight of God.”

Do Not Worry

²² Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, “I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. ²³ There is more to life than eating. There are more important things for the body than clothes. ²⁴ Think about the ravens. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t have any barns at all. But God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds! ²⁵ Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? ²⁶ You can’t do that very little thing. So why worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Think about how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in his royal robes was dressed like one of those flowers. ²⁸ If that is how God dresses the wild grass, how much better will he dress you! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small! ²⁹ Don’t spend time thinking about what you will eat or drink. Don’t worry about it. ³⁰ People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But put God’s kingdom first. Then those other things will also be given to you.

³² “Little flock, do not be afraid. Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell what you own. Give to those who are poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out. Store up riches in heaven that will never be used up. There, no thief can come near it. There, no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Your heart will be where your riches are.

Be Ready

³⁵ “Be dressed and ready to serve. Keep your lamps burning. ³⁶ Be like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding dinner. When he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready when he comes. What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will then dress himself so he can serve them. He will have them take their places at the table. And he will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready. It will even be good if he comes in the middle of the night or toward morning. ³⁹ But here is what you must understand. Suppose the owner of the house knew at what hour the robber was coming. He would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him.”

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this story to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord answered, “Suppose a master puts one of his servants in charge of his other servants. The servant’s job is to give them the food they are to receive at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise manager for this. ⁴³ It will be good for the servant if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns. ⁴⁴ What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time to come back.’ Suppose that servant begins to beat the other servants, both men and women. Suppose he feeds himself. And suppose he drinks until he gets drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come back on a day the servant doesn’t expect him. The master will return at an hour the servant doesn’t know. Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send the servant to the place where unbelievers go.

⁴⁷ “Suppose a servant knows the master’s wishes. But the servant doesn’t get ready and doesn’t do what the master wants. Then that servant will receive a heavy beating. ⁴⁸ But suppose the servant does not know his master’s wishes. And suppose the servant does things for which he should be punished. He will receive a lighter beating. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. Even more will be asked of the person who is supposed to take care of much.

Jesus Will Separate People From One Another

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth. How I wish the fire had already started! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism of suffering to go through. And I must go through it. ⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you. I have come to separate people. ⁵² From now on there will be five members in a family, each one against the other. There will be three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be separated. Father will turn against son and son against father. Mother will turn against daughter and daughter against mother. Mother-in-law will turn against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Understanding the Meaning of What Is Happening

⁵⁴ Jesus spoke to the crowd. He said, “You see a cloud rising in the west. Right away you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And it does. ⁵⁵ The south wind blows. So you say, ‘It’s going to be hot.’ And it is. ⁵⁶ You pretenders! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and the sky. Why can’t you understand the meaning of what is happening right now?

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ Suppose someone has a claim against you, and you are on your way to court. Try hard to settle the matter on the way. If you don’t, that person may drag you off to the judge. The judge may turn you over to the officer. And the officer may throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny!”