Causing to Stumble

⁶ “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.^{(A) 7} Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!^{(B) 8} If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,^(C) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble,^(D) 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.^(E)

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep^(F)

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels^(G) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. ^[11] [a]

¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us^(A)

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”^(B)

³⁹ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰ for whoever is not against us is for us.^{(C) 41} Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.^(D)

Causing to Stumble

⁴² “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,^(E) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.^(F)

¹³ Therefore let us stop passing judgment^(A) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.^{(B) 14} I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.^(C) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.^{(D) 15} If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.^(E) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.^{(F) 16} Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.^{(G) 17} For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,^(H) but of righteousness, peace^(I) and joy in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 18} because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.^(K)

¹⁹ Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace^(L) and to mutual edification.^{(M) 20} Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.^(N) All food is clean,^(O) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.^{(P) 21} It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.^(Q)

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak^(A) and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good,^(B) to build them up.^(C)

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep^(A)

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels^(B) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. ^[11] [a]

¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.