The rains descend, and floods rise. Hurricane winds beat against the house, and still it stands: for it is built on solid rock.

But whoever hears my life-giving words, and rejects them, builds on a foundation of sand. The rains descend, and the floods rise. Hurricane winds beat against the house, and the foundation crumbles. The house collapses, and great it its fall.

Two men went into the temple to pray, one a proud, self-righteous man, the other a tax collector known for his dishonesty. The proud man prayed this prayer: "Thank God I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially that cheating tax collector I see in the corner. I never cheat, or commit adultery. I fast twice a week, and I give the temple a tenth of all that I earn."

But the tax collector remained in the back of the temple, and dared not lift his eyes toward heaven as he sorrowfully prayed, "God, please be merciful to me, an unworthy sinner."

I tell you that the tax collector who recognized his need of God's mercy, returned to his house lighthearted, free from anxiety, and forgiven. Those who, in their pride, exalt themselves, will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will soar above the cares of this world to a place of blessing and honor.

Let even the little children come to me, and don't hold them back. For the kingdom of God belongs to hearts so trusting; for without a childlike faith you will never enter the kingdom.

If any person chooses to do my Father's will, he will easily discover whether my teaching is of God, or whether I am just preaching my own ideas. My doctrine is not mine, but of him who sent me.

The world worships blindly. At least as Jews, we know what we worship, and that the world's salvation is born from among us. Believe me: the time is coming, and has already come, when people who would worship God won't run here or there, looking for the place where God is supposed to be saying: "Here He is! This is where we should pray."

True believers will worship God in spirit and reality. God the Father seeks those who offer this kind of sacrifice, of worship and of praise. If you were to keep silent, then the very stones would shout out.

Perhaps you have read that, when King David and his soldiers were hungry, they entered the temple and at the holy bread reserved for the priests, an act that was forbidden by the religious laws.

If you were a student of the Hebrew laws, you would know that on the Sabbath days the priests that work in the temple desecrate the Sabbath, yet are counted blameless. I tell you there are more important things than the laws of the temple. If you had grasped the meaning of the scripture, "I would rather have mercy than sacrifice," you would have ceased condemning the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.

Suppose an animal you cared for fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't you make every effort to pull it out? Isn't your life more valuable? You think nothing of spending the Sabbath performing long ceremonies and observing religious liturgies, how is it then that you criticize me for healing on the Lord's day? When will you stop judging by mere appearances, and begin to make right judgments? The Sabbath was created for you. You were not created for the Sabbath.

I have come into this world that the blind might see, and they that boast of their vision might become aware of how blind they truly are.

Doing so, you will be like the servant who, when the master comes, is found doing right.

Blessed are you who put your whole trust in God, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you who are acquainted with sorrow, for you will be given comfort and courage.

Blessed are you who have the humility to recognize your own need, for the whole earth will be yours.

Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you will be satisfied and filled.

Blessed are you who are merciful, for you will receive mercy in return.

Blessed are you who are pure in heart, for you will see God.

Blessed are you who are peacemakers, for you will be called the children of God. Blessed are you who pursue salvation, for you will become the citizens of the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you when you suffer blame and are spoken evil of for doing my will. Rejoice, and leap for joy; for great is your reward in heaven. In the same manner they persecuted the great oracles of old.

How even more blessed are you who, not having seen me, believe, and keep your faith in me; blessed are your eyes, for they truly see, and your ears, for they truly hear.

Come, you who are so blessed by the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

You go to a friend's house at midnight, and say: "Lend me three loaves of bread. I have visitors who have traveled far to see me, and my cupboards are bare."

The reply comes back: "Please don't disturb me now. The door is locked, and my children are asleep. I can't get up and help you." I tell you, though your friend will not get up and give you bread because of your friendship, he or she will eventually give in to your earnest persisting, and rise to give you as much bread as you need.

So continue. Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, those who seek find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened wide.

In a certain town, there lived a hard-hearted judge, who neither feared God nor cared about his neighbor. In the same town there lived a widow, who constantly harangued him for justice concerning a person who had harmed her. For long time he ignored her, and refused to hear her case. But finally he said to himself:

"Though I do not fear God, or concern myself with charity, I will see that this widow gets justice; for she wears me out with her constant appeals."

Will not God, then, bring justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Do you think he will put them off? I tell you: he will see that they receive justice, and quickly! Yet the real question raised in this story is this: When I, the Messiah, return, will I find many on the earth with such persevering faith?

I don't mean that you should let your prayer fall into a pattern of mindless repetition. The heathen pray this way, thinking they will be heard by the quantities of their prayers. You shouldn't imitate them. Remember, your heavenly Father knows what you need even before you ask.

The prophet Isaiah has written: "My house shall be called, by all nations, a house of prayer."

Pray then, to the Father, who hears your most private prayers and rewards them openly; and whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will provide. If you live your life in me, and let my words live in your hearts, ask what you wish and it will be given to you.

Pray in this manner: Our Father in heaven, may all the earth recognize that you are the only holy God.

May your kingdom come dwell among us, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day bread to sustain us, and forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Keep us from wandering into temptation, and deliver us from the evil one.

For to you belongs all power, and glory, eternally. So be it.

Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen, and lived a life of extravagance.

In the same town there was a homeless man named Lazarus who sat near the gate that led to the rich man's house. He didn't ask fro much, only the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. The street dogs were his only friends, and they looked after him.

Finally, one day Lazarus died and was carried by angels to the arms of Abraham. Not long afterwards, the rich man also died, and was buried.

In hell he lifted eyes full of torment, and saw Abraham in the distance, and Lazarus in his arms. With all his strength he cried out: "Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus the beggar. Have him dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am in agony here in these flames."

But Abraham replied: "Remember, my son, in your lifetime you had your good things, while Lazarus knew nothing but misery. Now he is comforted, and you suffer torment. Besides this, there is a great chasm separating us, so that those who would come to you from this side cannot; neither can you cross over to us from there."

Hearing this, the rich man cried: "I pray, then, that you send Lazarus to my father's house. I have five brothers, and he must warn them, so that they don't end up in this hell."

To this, Abraham answered: "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them."

"But surely," the rich man contested, "if one went to them from the dead, they would repent."

Abraham replied: "If they do not repent because of the words of Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if one should rise from the dead to warn them."

There is no generosity in giving to those who can easily repay you. Even misers will lend money when they are sure of being paid back in full. I say: give to the person who comes to you in need, unable to repay you; and be forgiving, even if such a person takes advantage of you.

The poor, when they give, contribute more than all the wealthy donors combined, who give out of their abundance. The poor contribute from their need, and out of love often give what they cannot spare.

How nearly impossible it is for those who love money to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And yet, what is impossible for man is more than possible with God.

Don't stockpile treasures on earth where moths and rust corrupt, and where thieves break in an d steal. But store your treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust can corrupt, and where there are no hazards of thieves or devaluation. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Some do good only when they are sure of an appreciating audience. These will not be rewarded by your Father who is in heaven. When you give, don't be like the hypocrites, who ring bells in the temples and in the streets. Such have their own reward.

Don't even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give quietly and in secret; and your heavenly Father who sees such things will reward you openly.

Learn to give and it will be given back to you abundantly more than you can imagine, multiplied and overflowing. By the same measure that you distribute your generosity, your reward will be measured back to you.

Once the investment of a rich man returned a great profit. Considering his riches, he thought, "What will I do with my profits?" And so he came to this decision: "I'll pull down my old houses, and build ones that are greater; there I will store my treasures and spend my profits. I will be content and possess a fortune that will last many years. I will spend my time in ease, eating, drinking, and being merry." But God said to him: "You fool! Don't you know that this night your soul will be demanded of you! When you are gone, whose will all these things be?"

So it is with those who lay up treasure for themselves, and are not rich in the things of God. What profit is there in gaining all that the world can offer, if in doing so you lose your soul? And what would you give in exchange for your soul, or your place in the kingdom?