CHAPTER 18
At
that
time
the
disciples
came
to Jesus
and asked,
“Who
then
is
the greatest
in
the
kingdom
of
heaven?”
“Truly
I tell
you,”
He said,
“unless
you change
and
become
like
little children,
you will never enter
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
Therefore,
whoever
humbles
himself
like
this
little child
is
the
greatest
in
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
But
if
anyone
causes
one
of these
little ones
who
believe
in
Me to stumble,
it would be better
for him
to have
a large
millstone
hung
around
his
neck
and
to be drowned
in
the
depths
of the
sea.
Woe
to the
world
for
the
causes of sin.
These
stumbling blocks
must
come,
but
woe
to the
man
through
whom
they
come!
If
your
hand
or
your
foot
causes you to fall into sin,
cut it off
and
throw it away.
It is
better
for you
to enter
life
crippled
or
lame
than
to have
two
hands
and
two
feet
and be thrown
into
the
eternal
fire.
And
if
your
eye
causes you to fall into sin,
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.
See that
you do not look down on
any
of these
little ones.
For
I tell
you
that
their
angels
in
heaven
always
see
the
face
of
my
Father
in
heaven.
What
do you
think?
If
a
man
has
a hundred
sheep
and
one
of
them
goes astray,
will he not leave
the
ninety-nine
on
the
hills
and
go out
to search for
the one
that is lost?
And
if
he
finds
it,
truly
I tell
you,
he rejoices
more
over
that one sheep
than
over
the
ninety-nine
that did not go astray.
In the same way,
your
Father
in
heaven
is
not
willing
that
any
of these
little ones
should perish.
If
your
brother
sins
against
you,
go
and confront
him
privately.
If
he listens to
you,
you have won
your
brother over.
But
if
he will not listen,
take
one
or
two
others
along,
so that
‘every
matter
may be established
by
the testimony
of two
or
three
witnesses.’
If
he refuses to listen
to them,
tell it
to the
church.
And
if
he refuses to listen
even
to the
church,
regard him
as
you would
a
pagan
or
a tax collector.
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.
Again,
I tell
you
truly
that
if
two
of
you
on
the
earth
agree
about
anything
you ask for,
it will be done
for you
by
My
Father
in
heaven.
Then
Peter
came
to Jesus
and asked,
“Lord,
how many times
shall I forgive
my
brother
who sins
against
me?
Up to
seven times?”
Because of
this,
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is like
a king
who
wanted
to settle
accounts
with
his
servants.
Since
the man
was unable
to pay,
the
master
ordered that
he
be sold
to pay his debt,
along with
his
wife
and
children
and
everything
he owned.
Then
the
servant
fell
on his knees
before him.
‘Have patience
with
me,’
he begged,
‘and
I will pay
back
everything.’
But when
that
servant
went out,
he found
one
of his
fellow servants
who
owed
him
a hundred
denarii.
He grabbed
him
and began to choke him,
saying,
‘Pay
back
what
you owe me.'
So
his
fellow servant
fell down
and begged
him,
‘Have patience
with
me,
and
I will pay
you back.’
When
his
fellow servants
saw
what
had happened,
they were greatly distressed,
and
they went
and recounted
all
of this
to
their
master.
Then
the
master
summoned
him
and declared,
‘You wicked
servant!
I forgave
all
your
debt
because
you begged
me.
In his anger,
his
master
turned him over
to the
jailers to be tortured,
until
he should repay
all
that
he owed.
That is how
My
Heavenly
Father
will treat
each of
you,
unless
you forgive
your
brother
from
your
heart.”