When Jesus finished these instructions for his twelve followers, he left there. He went to the towns in Galilee to teach the people and tell them God's message.
The blind can see. The crippled can walk. People with leprosy are healed. The deaf can hear. The dead are brought back to life. And the Good News is being told to the poor.
When John's followers left, Jesus began talking to the people about John. He said, "What did you people go out to the desert to see? Someone who is weak, like a stem of grass blowing in the wind?
"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.
Since the time John the Baptizer came until now, God's kingdom has been going forward strongly. And people have been trying to take control of it by force.
"What can I say about the people who live today? What are they like? The people today are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other group,
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and people say, 'Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He's a friend of tax collectors and other sinners.' But wisdom is shown to be right by what it does."
Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of his miracles. He criticized these cities because the people there did not change their lives and stop sinning.
Jesus said, "It will be bad for you Chorazin! It will be bad for you Bethsaida! I did many miracles in you. If these same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have changed their lives a long time ago. They would have worn sackcloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they were sorry for their sins.
"And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will be thrown down to the place of death. I did many miracles in you. If these same miracles had happened in Sodom, the people there would have stopped sinning, and it would still be a city today.
Then Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children.
"My Father has given me everything. No one knows the Son—only the Father knows the Son. And no one knows the Father—only the Son knows the Father. And the only people who will know about the Father are those the Son chooses to tell.