Matthew

At that time, the disciples approached Jesus and asked him:

“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then Jesus called a small child, placed the child in the middle of the disciples

and said: “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,

and whoever receives such a child in my name, receives me.”

Radicalism in the Face of Sin

If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and fall, it would be better for him to be thrown into the depths of the sea with a great millstone around his neck.

Woe to the world because of so many scandals! Scandals are unavoidable, but woe to the one who causes a scandal.

If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to be thrown into the eternal fire with two hands and two feet.

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to be cast into fiery Gehenna with two eyes.

Parable of the Lost Sheep

Make sure you do not underestimate any of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father.

[[For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost.]]

What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go to look for the stray one?

And I tell you, when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

The same applies to your Father in heaven. Your Father in heaven does not want even one of these little ones to perish.

If your brother has sinned against you, go and confront him privately, and if he listens to you, you have restored your brother.

If he doesn’t listen to you, bring one or two others with you, so that the matter can be decided based on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the gathered Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then consider him a pagan or a tax collector.

I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will also bind; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will also unbind.

Similarly, I tell you, if two of you agree on anything you ask for, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father.

For where two or three gather in my name, I am there among them.

Then Peter asked him:

“Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister’s offenses? Seven times?”

Jesus answered:

“No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

This story sheds light on the kingdom of Heaven: A king decided to settle accounts with his servants.

One of the first was someone who owed him ten thousand pieces of gold.

Since the man couldn’t repay the debt, the king ordered that he be sold into slavery along with his wife, children, and all his possessions as payment.

The servant knelt before the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’

The king took pity on him and not only freed him but also waived his debt.

When this servant left the king’s presence, he encountered one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He seized him by the throat and almost choked him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

His fellow servant threw himself at his feet and begged him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’

But the other disagreed and put him in prison until he paid off all his debt.

Now the king’s servants saw what had happened. They were very upset, so they went and reported everything to their lord.

Then the lord summoned his servant and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed me when you begged me to do so.

Weren’t you supposed to have pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?

The lord was now angry. He handed the wicked servant over to be punished until he paid the entire debt.

Jesus added:

“So will my heavenly Father do with you unless you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters.”