“When you give to those who are poor, don’t announce that you are giving. Don’t be like the hypocrites. When they are in the synagogues and on the streets, they blow trumpets before they give so that people will see them. They want everyone to praise them. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get.

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get.

Jesus Teaches About Fasting

“When you fast, don’t make yourselves look sad like the hypocrites. They put a look of suffering on their faces so that people will see they are fasting. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get.

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, “The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone I have found, even in Israel.

“The truth is that John the Baptizer is greater than anyone who has ever come into this world. But even the least important person in God’s kingdom is greater than John.

Jesus answered, “Only you can know the secret truths about God’s kingdom. Those other people cannot know these secret truths.

Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom.

Then Jesus said to his followers, “The truth is, it will be very hard for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.

Jesus answered, “The truth is, if you have faith and no doubts, you will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will happen.

“Which of the two sons obeyed his father?” The Jewish leaders answered, “The first son.” Jesus said to them, “The truth is, you are worse than the tax collectors and the prostitutes. In fact, they will enter God’s kingdom before you enter.

They sent some men to Jesus. They were some of their own followers and some from the group called Herodians. They said, “Teacher, we know you are an honest man. We know you teach the truth about God’s way. You are not afraid of what others think about you. All people are the same to you.

“Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’

“The king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.’

Jesus answered, “The truth is, tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.”

But it must happen this way to show the truth of what the Scriptures said.”

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have anything to say about these charges against you? Are they telling the truth?”

But Jesus said nothing. Again the high priest said to Jesus, “You are now under oath. I command you by the power of the living God to tell us the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”