True Greatness

1In that hour the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is greater in the kingdom of heaven?”

2So Jesus called over a little child, placed him among them,

3and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

5And whoever receives one little child such as this in my name receives me.

6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

7“Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, yet woe to ¹⁷⁶that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

8If yoʋr hand or yoʋr foot causes yoʋ to stumble, cut ¹⁷⁷them off and throw them away from yoʋ. It is better for yoʋ to enter life ¹⁷⁸lame or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

9And if yoʋr eye causes yoʋ to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from yoʋ. It is better for yoʋ to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10“Be careful not to despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of my Father in heaven.

11¹⁷⁹For the Son of Man came to save the lost.

12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, ¹⁸⁰does he not leave the other ninety-nine ¹⁸¹and go seek on the mountains the one that has gone astray?

13And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray.

14In the same way, it is not the will of ¹⁸²your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Restoring a Brother Who Sins Against Yoʋ

15“If yoʋr brother sins ¹⁸³against yoʋ, go show him his fault between yoʋ and him alone. If he listens to yoʋ, yoʋ have gained yoʋr brother.

16But if he does not listen, take one or two others with yoʋ, so that every matter may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.

17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19¹⁸⁴Again, truly I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21Then Peter came ¹⁸⁵to Jesus and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother when he keeps sinning against me? Up to seven times?”

22Jesus said to him, “Not, I tell yoʋ, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.

24As he began to settle accounts, one servant who had a debt of ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25But since he did not have anything with which to repay the debt, his master commanded him to be sold along with his wife, his children, and all that he had, so that the debt could be repaid.

26So the servant fell down and bowed before him, saying, ‘ ¹⁸⁶Master, be patient with me, and I will repay yoʋ all that I owe.’

27Moved with compassion, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

28But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Repay ¹⁸⁷me what yoʋ owe.’

29So his fellow servant fell down ¹⁸⁸at his feet and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay ¹⁸⁹yoʋ.’

30But he was not willing to do so. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he should repay what was owed.

31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed and went and reported to their master all that had happened.

32Then the master summoned the servant and said to him, ‘Yoʋ evil servant! I forgave yoʋ all that debt because yoʋ begged me to do so.

33Should yoʋ not also have had mercy on yoʋr fellow servant, even as I had mercy on yoʋ?’

34And in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should repay all that was owed ¹⁹⁰him.

35My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each one of you, from your hearts, does not forgive his brother ¹⁹¹for his trespasses.”