At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he
put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless
you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom
of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but
whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened
around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary
that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation
comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off
and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or
lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal
fire. 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 with two
eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell
you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father
who is in heaven. 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 in search of the one that went astray? And
if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than
over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will
of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should
perish.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault,
between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained
your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others
along with you, that every charge may be established by the
evidence 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, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
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 in heaven. For
where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-
seven times.
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who
wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to
settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with
his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience
with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him,
the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began
to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant
fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will
pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should
pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place,
they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their
master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and
said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt
because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on
your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his
master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his
debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if
you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
