Hidden righteousness, then authority that heals and sends.

Matthew 6

Jesus teaches hidden giving, the prayer of children who know their Father, and a trust that seeks the kingdom before it seeks tomorrow's bread.

¹“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ²Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, ⁴so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

⁵“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. ⁷In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. ⁸Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him. ⁹Pray like this:

¹⁴“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

¹⁹“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; ²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. ²⁵Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

²⁷“Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? ²⁸Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, ²⁹yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

³¹“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

Matthew 7

He forbids hypocritical judgment, points to the narrow gate, and says the house that stands is the house that hears His words and does them.

¹“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. ²For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. ³Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? ⁴Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁶“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

⁷“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? ¹¹If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ¹²Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

¹³“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it. ¹⁴How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.

¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. ¹⁶By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. ¹⁸A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ ²³Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

²⁴“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.”

²⁸When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.

Matthew 8

A leper is touched, a centurion's faith startles the King, the storm obeys, and demons in the Gadarenes confess Him as Son of God before they are sent out.

¹When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. ²Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

³Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

⁵When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him for help, ⁶saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

⁷Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. ¹¹I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, ¹²but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.

¹⁴When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵He touched her hand, and the fever left her. So she got up and served him. ¹⁶When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, ¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

¹⁸Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

¹⁹A scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

²¹Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

²²But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

²³When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵The disciples came to him and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

²⁶He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

²⁷The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

²⁸When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way. ²⁹Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. ³¹The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”

³²He said to them, “Go!”

They came out and went into the herd of pigs; and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water. ³³Those who fed them fled and went away into the city and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons. ³⁴Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.

Matthew 9

Jesus forgives a paralytic, calls Matthew from the tax booth, raises a ruler's daughter, and looks with compassion on crowds who have no shepherd.

¹He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city. ²Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”

³Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

⁴Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? ⁶But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”

⁷He arose and departed to his house. ⁸But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

⁹As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. ¹⁰As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. ¹³But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

¹⁴Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”

¹⁵Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. ¹⁷Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

¹⁸While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

¹⁹Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. ²⁰Behold, a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; ²¹for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”

²²But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

²³When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, ²⁴he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.”

They were ridiculing him. ²⁵But when the crowd was sent out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶The report of this went out into all that land.

²⁷As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!” ²⁸When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” ³⁰Then their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

³²As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. ³³When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

³⁴But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”

³⁵Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. ³⁶But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 10

He sends the Twelve with His own authority, telling them to expect rejection, to fear God rather than persecutors, and to lose their life for His sake.

¹He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. ²Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; ³Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

⁵Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. ⁶Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ ⁸Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. ⁹Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. ¹⁰Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. ¹¹Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. ¹²As you enter into the household, greet it. ¹³If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

¹⁶“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. ¹⁸Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. ²⁰For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²²You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

²⁴“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! ²⁶Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

²⁹“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. ³²Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. ³³But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

³⁴“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶A man’s foes will be those of his own household. ³⁷He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁸He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁹He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴²Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.”