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True Greatness
1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is greater in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 So Jesus called over a little child, placed him among them,
3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever receives one little child such as this in my name receives me,
6 but 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 depth 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 that man through whom the stumbling block comes!
8 If yoʋr hand or yoʋr foot causes yoʋ to stumble, cut them off and throw them away from yoʋ. It is better for yoʋ to enter life lame or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And 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.
11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the other ninety-nine and go seek on the mountains the one that has gone astray?
13 And 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.
14 In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Restoring a Brother Who Sins Against Yoʋ
15 “If yoʋr brother sins against yoʋ, go show him his fault between yoʋ and him alone. If he listens to yoʋ, yoʋ have gained yoʋr brother.
16 But 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.
17 If 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.
18 Truly 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.
19 Again, 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.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus 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.
24 As he began to settle accounts, one servant who had a debt of ten thousand talents was brought to him.
25 But 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.
26 So the servant fell down and bowed before him, saying, ‘Master, be patient with me, and I will repay yoʋ all that I owe.’
27 Moved with compassion, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28 But 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 me what yoʋ owe.’
29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay yoʋ.’
30 But he was not willing to do so. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he should repay what was owed.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed and went and reported to their master all that had happened.
32 Then 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.
33 Should yoʋ not also have had mercy on yoʋr fellow servant, even as I had mercy on yoʋ?’
34 And in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should repay all that was owed him.
35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each one of you, from your hearts, does not forgive his brother for his trespasses.”