Matthew 18
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
In that hour the
disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the Kingdom
of Heaven?"
Jesus called a little
child to himself, and set him in the midst of them, and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as
little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Whoever therefore humbles
himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven. Whoever receives
one such little child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these
little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that
a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be
sunk in the depths of the sea.
"Woe to the world because of
occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to
that person through whom the occasion comes! If your hand or your foot causes
you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to
enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two
feet to be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to
stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter
into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
See that you don't despise one
of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always
see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man came to save
that which was lost.
"What do you think? If a
man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave
the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
If he finds it, most
certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine
which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of
your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
A Brother Who Sins Against You
"If your brother sins
against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he
listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn't listen, take
one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them,
tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him
be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. Most certainly I tell you,
whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and
whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
Again, assuredly I tell
you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they
will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Then Peter came and
said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? Until seven times?"
Jesus said to him,
"I don't tell you until seven times, but, until
seventy times seven. Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven
is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his
servants. When he had
begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten
thousand talents. But because he couldn't pay, his
lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that
he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down
and kneeled before him, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will
repay you all!' The lord
of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave
him the debt.
"But that servant went out,
and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one
hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat,
saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
"So his fellow servant fell
down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I
will repay you!' He
would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back
that which was due. So
when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry,
and came and told to their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him in, and
said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you
begged me. Shouldn't you
also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?'
His lord was angry, and
delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to
him. So my heavenly
Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from
your hearts for his misdeeds."
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