“Comparison is the thief of joy” is a common saying. I’m not sure who first said it, but the sentiment certainly resonates. We all know from experience that certain kinds of comparison can quickly produce envy, pride, discouragement, or discontent. But does that mean all comparison is wrong? To think through that question, I ran a quick Bible search through the New Testament for comparative adjectives—183 of them, to be precise. Rather than survey every occurrence, I want to highlight several examples from Matthew that help us think more carefully about comparison. Comparison in Itself Is Not Wrong The first comparative adjective in the New Testament comes from John the Baptist, who acknowledges that someone is coming after him “who is mightier than I” (Matt 3:11). John compares himself with Jesus and recognizes Jesus’ superiority. Similarly, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asks, “Is not life more than food,…