y are. If you give anything, keep quiet
about it. God will know what you have done, and that's enough.

"It's the same with prayer," Jesus continued. "Don't stand praying on
the street corners where everyone can see you. There are many people
who do that. When you pray, go into your own room and pray with the
door closed. God will hear you, and he is the only one who needs to
hear."

[Illustration]

Jesus had his admirers. Some people admired him so much that they
began to call him "Master" and "Lord." But Jesus did not think that
they were all in earnest. He spoke plainly about this also.

"It won't do you any good to come saying, 'Lord, Lord,'" he said,
"unless you do the things God expects of you. Someday, I suppose you
will come and tell me of all the wonderful things you have done in my
name. And then I will have to say to you: 'I don't even know who you
are. Go away!'

"If anyone hears my teachings, and does what I tell him to do, he will
be like a man who builds his house upon a rock. The rain comes down
and the wind blows, and the house keeps on standing there, because it
is built upon a rock. You will be strong like that house, if you do as
I say. But anyone who hears my teachings and pays no attention to them
is like a man who builds his house upon the sand. When the rains and
the floods and the winds come, the house will fall down and that will
be the end of it. You will be weak like that house, if you do not obey
my words."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Now when the people heard how Jesus preached, they were amazed. They
wondered who this was who spoke to them as though he were God himself.
That was not how other preachers taught. They were always quoting
somebody else, as though they were afraid to speak for themselves.

But Jesus simply said, "_I_ am telling you." He said, "Listen to
_me_."

* * * * *

Every Friday evening at sunset the Sabbath began, and there could be
no more work until sunset on the following day. Saturday morning all
the Jewish people went to attend the service in the synagogue. The
people would come in and take their places, with the most important
people up in front. At the beginning of the service, everyone stood
and faced in the direction of Jerusalem, and recited some verses from
the Scriptures. These were always the same. They began: "Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thine