Matthew 3:1
The Ministry of John the Baptist
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming,
Matthew 3:1-17
The Ministry of John the Baptist
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming,
3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken:
“The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.
3:5 Then people from Jerusalem, as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him,
3:6 and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.
3:7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
3:8 Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance,
3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
3:10 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.
3:14 But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”
3:15 So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him.
3:16 After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him.
3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”
Matthew 6:1-34
Pure-hearted Giving
6:1 “Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.
6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.
6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Private Prayer
6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
6:7 When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.
6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
6:9 So pray this way:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,
6:10 may your kingdom come,
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us today our daily bread,
6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.
6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
6:14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
Proper Fasting
6:16 “When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.
6:17 When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Lasting Treasure
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
6:23 But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Do Not Worry
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?
6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are?
6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?
6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.
6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!
6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?
6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
6:32 For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.