The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2. And Jesus called a little child to Him, and set him in the midst of them,
3. and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
4. Whoever then humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5. And whoever receives one such little child in My name receives Me.

Causing to Sin

6. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck and he be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7. Woe to the world because of causes of stumbling! For it is necessary that causes come, but woe to that man through whom the cause comes.
8. 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 life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into eternal fire.
9. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
11. For the Son of Man has come to save that which is lost.
12. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and seek the one that has gone astray?
13. And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine who have not gone astray.

The Duty to Correct a Brother

14. Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15. If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16. But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that every word may be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses.
17. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. And if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Binding and Loosing

18. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
19. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
20. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21. Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22. Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
23. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24. And when he began to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25. And since he was not able to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
26. Then the servant fell down, bowed before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all.’
27. And the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, 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, and he laid hands on him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe!’
29. So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you.’
30. But he would not. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt.
31. When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had happened.
32. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?’
34. And in anger his lord handed him over to the jailers until he should pay all his debt.
35. So also My heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.