The Greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven
1At
that time
the
disciples
came to
Jesus and
asked,
“Who,
then, is
the
greatest
in the
kingdom of
heaven?”
2 He
called a
little
child to
him, and
placed the
child
among
them.
3 And
he said:
“Truly I
tell you,
unless you
change and
become
like
little
children,
you will
never
enter the
kingdom of
heaven.
4 Therefore,
whoever
takes the
lowly
position
of this
child is
the
greatest
in the
kingdom of
heaven.
5 And
whoever
welcomes
one such
child in
my name
welcomes
me.
Causing to Stumble
6 “If
anyone
causes one
of these
little
ones—those
who
believe in
me—to
stumble,
it would
be better
for them
to have a
large
millstone
hung
around
their neck
and to be
drowned in
the depths
of the
sea.
7 Woe
to the
world
because of
the things
that cause
people to
stumble!
Such
things
must come,
but woe to
the person
through
whom they
come!
8 If
your hand
or your
foot
causes you
to
stumble,
cut it off
and throw
it away.
It is
better for
you to
enter life
maimed or
crippled
than to
have two
hands or
two feet
and be
thrown
into
eternal
fire.
9 And
if your
eye causes
you to
stumble,
gouge it
out and
throw it
away. It
is better
for you to
enter life
with one
eye than
to have
two eyes
and be
thrown
into the
fire of
hell.
The Parable of the Wandering
Sheep
10>11 “See
that you
do not
despise
one of
these
little
ones. For
I tell you
that their
angels in
heaven
always see
the face
of my
Father in
heaven.
12 “What
do you
think? If
a man owns
a hundred
sheep, and
one of
them
wanders
away, will
he not
leave the
ninety-nine
on the
hills and
go to look
for the
one that
wandered
off?
13 And
if he
finds it,
truly I
tell you,
he is
happier
about that
one sheep
than about
the
ninety-nine
that did
not wander
off.
14 In
the same
way your
Father in
heaven is
not
willing
that any
of these
little
ones
should
perish.
Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If
your
brother or
sister
sins, go
and point
out their
fault,
just
between
the two of
you. If
they
listen to
you, you
have won
them over.
16 But
if they
will not
listen,
take one
or two
others
along, so
that
‘every
matter may
be
established
by the
testimony
of two or
three
witnesses.’
17 If
they still
refuse to
listen,
tell it to
the
church;
and if
they
refuse to
listen
even to
the
church,
treat them
as you
would a
pagan or a
tax
collector.
18 “Truly
I tell
you,
whatever
you bind
on earth
will be
bound in
heaven,
and
whatever
you loose
on earth
will be
loosed in
heaven.
19 “Again,
truly I
tell you
that if
two of you
on earth
agree
about
anything
they ask
for, it
will be
done for
them by my
Father in
heaven.
20 For
where two
or three
gather in
my name,
there am I
with
them.”
The Parable of the Unmerciful
Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,
“Lord, how
many times
shall I
forgive my
brother or
sister who
sins
against
me? Up to
seven
times?”
22 Jesus answered,
“I tell
you, not
seven
times, but
seventy-seven
times.
23 “Therefore,
the
kingdom of
heaven is
like a
king who
wanted to
settle
accounts
with his
servants.
24 As
he began
the
settlement,
a man who
owed him
ten
thousand
bags of
gold was
brought to
him.
25 Since
he was not
able to
pay, the
master
ordered
that he
and his
wife and
his
children
and all
that he
had be
sold to
repay the
debt.
26 “At
this the
servant
fell on
his knees
before
him. ‘Be
patient
with me,’
he begged,
‘and I
will pay
back
everything.’
27 The
servant’s
master
took pity
on him,
canceled
the debt
and let
him go.
28 “But
when that
servant
went out,
he found
one of his
fellow
servants
who owed
him a
hundred
silver
coins. He
grabbed
him and
began to
choke him.
‘Pay back
what you
owe me!’
he
demanded.
29 “His
fellow
servant
fell to
his knees
and begged
him, ‘Be
patient
with me,
and I will
pay it
back.’
30 “But
he
refused.
Instead,
he went
off and
had the
man thrown
into
prison
until he
could pay
the debt.
31 When
the other
servants
saw what
had
happened,
they were
outraged
and went
and told
their
master
everything
that had
happened.
32 “Then
the master
called the
servant
in. ‘You
wicked
servant,’
he said,
‘I
canceled
all that
debt of
yours
because
you begged
me to.
33 Shouldn’t
you have
had mercy
on your
fellow
servant
just as I
had on
you?’
34 In
anger his
master
handed him
over to
the
jailers to
be
tortured,
until he
should pay
back all
he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”