The Question About Who Is Greatest

18 At that time the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And calling a child to himself, he had him stand in their midst ³ and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven! ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, this person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, ⁵ and whoever welcomes one child such as this in my name welcomes me. ⁶ But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that a large millstone^[a] be hung on^[b] his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of causes for stumbling, for it is a necessity that causes for stumbling come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause for stumbling comes. ⁸ And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it^[c] from you! It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the eternal fire! ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it^[d] from you! It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery hell!

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.^{[e] 12} What do you think? If a certain man has^[f] a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go and^[g] look for the one that wandered away? ¹³ And if he happens to find it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not wander away. ¹⁴ In the same way it is not the will of^[h] your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

Confronting a Brother Who Sins Against You

¹⁵ “Now if your brother sins against you, go correct him 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 in addition one or two others, so that by the testimony^[i] of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. ¹⁷ And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it^[j] to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, truly I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask, it will be done for them from my Father who is in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

²¹ Then Peter came up to him and^[k] said,^[l] “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!^[m]

²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ And when^[n] he began to settle them,^[o] someone was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. ²⁵ And because^[p] he did not have enough^[q] to repay it,^[r] the master ordered him to be sold, and his^[s] wife and his^[t] children and everything that he had, and to be repaid. ²⁶ Then the slave threw himself to the ground and^[u] began to do obeisance to him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay back everything to you!’ ²⁷ So the master of that slave, because he^[v] had compassion, released him and forgave him the loan. ²⁸ But that slave went out and^[w] found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him,^[x] saying, ‘Pay back everything that you owe!’ ²⁹ Then his fellow slave threw himself to the ground and^[y] began to implore^[z] him, saying, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’ ³⁰ But he did not want to, but rather he went and^[aa] threw him into prison until he would repay what was owed. ³¹ So when^[ab] his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed, and went and^[ac] reported to their master everything that had happened. ³² Then his master summoned him and^[ad] said to him, ‘Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! ³³ Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?’ ³⁴ And because he^[ae] was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers^[af] until he would repay everything that was owed. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!”