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True Greatness(A)

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom from[a] heaven?”

Calling a little child forward, he had him stand among them. Then he said, “I tell all of you[b] with certainty, unless you change[c] and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from[d] heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom from[e] heaven, and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me.”

Causing Others to Sin(B)

“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea. How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!

“So 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 injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into 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 to have two eyes and be thrown into hell[f] fire.

10 “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost.”[g]

The Parable about the Faithful Shepherd(C)

12 “What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, he leaves the 99 in the hills and goes to look for the one that has strayed, doesn’t he? 13 If he finds it, I tell all of you[h] with certainty that he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that haven’t strayed. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your[i] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”

Dealing with a Brother who Sins(D)

15 “If your brother sins against you,[j] go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two others with you so that ‘every word may be confirmed by the testimony[k] of two or three witnesses.’[l] 17 If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation.[m] If he also ignores the congregation,[n] regard him as an unbeliever[o] and a tax collector.

18 “I tell all of you[p] with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited[q] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted[r] in heaven. 19 Furthermore, I tell all of you[s] with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven, 20 because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”

The Parable about an Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and asked him, “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? Seven times?”

22 Jesus told him, “I tell you, not just seven times, but 77 times![t] 23 “That is why the kingdom from[u] heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he had begun to settle the accounts, a person who owed him 10,000 talents[v] was brought to him. 25 Because he couldn’t pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made. 26 Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, ‘Be patient[w] with me, and I will repay you everything!’ 27 The master of that servant had compassion and released him, canceling his debt.

28 “But when that servant went away, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[x] He grabbed him, seized him by the throat, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 Then his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’ 30 But he refused and had him thrown into prison until he could repay the debt.

31 “When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very disturbed and went and reported to their master everything that had occurred. 32 Then his master sent for him and told him, ‘You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers until he could repay the entire debt. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your hearts.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 18:1 Lit. of
  2. Matthew 18:3 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  3. Matthew 18:3 Lit. turn
  4. Matthew 18:3 Lit. of
  5. Matthew 18:4 Lit. of
  6. Matthew 18:9 Lit. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom
  7. Matthew 18:11 Other mss. lack this verse.
  8. Matthew 18:13 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  9. Matthew 18:14 Other mss. read our; still other mss. read my
  10. Matthew 18:15 Other mss. lack against you
  11. Matthew 18:16 Lit. mouth
  12. Matthew 18:16 Cf. Deut 19:15
  13. Matthew 18:17 Or church
  14. Matthew 18:17 Or church
  15. Matthew 18:17 Lit. gentile; i.e. an unbelieving non-Jew
  16. Matthew 18:18 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  17. Matthew 18:18 Or will be prohibited
  18. Matthew 18:18 Or will be permitted
  19. Matthew 18:19 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  20. Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
  21. Matthew 18:23 Lit. of
  22. Matthew 18:24 10,000 talents is the price paid in silver by Haman to King Ahasuerus as a bribe to annihilate the Jews; Cf. Esther 3:9; a talent was worth a lifetime of wages for an average laborer
  23. Matthew 18:26 Other mss. read Master, be patient
  24. Matthew 18:28 The denarius was the usual day’s wage for a laborer.

18 At en that ekeinos · ho time hōra the ho disciples mathētēs came proserchomai to ho Jesus Iēsous, saying legō, “ Who tis then ara is eimi the greatest megas in en the ho kingdom basileia of ho heaven ouranos?” · kai Jesus invited proskaleō a child paidion to come to him, and placing histēmi him autos in en their autos midst mesos, · kai said legō, “ I tell legō you hymeis the truth amēn, unless ean mē you change strephō and kai become ginomai like hōs · ho children paidion, you will never ou mē enter eiserchomai the ho kingdom basileia of ho heaven ouranos! For oun whoever hostis humbles tapeinoō himself heautou as hōs · ho this houtos child paidion is eimi · ho greatest megas in en the ho kingdom basileia of ho heaven ouranos. And kai whoever hos ean welcomes dechomai a heis child paidion like toioutos this in epi · ho my egō name onoma welcomes dechomai me egō. But de whoever hos causes skandalizō one heis of ho these houtos little mikros ones who ho believe pisteuō in eis me egō to sin, it would be better sympherō for him autos to hina have a large onikos millstone mylos hung kremannymi around peri · ho his autos neck trachēlos and kai be drowned katapontizō far out pelagos at en · ho · ho sea thalassa. Woe ouai to the ho world kosmos because apo of the ho things that cause people to sin skandalon! It is inevitable anankē that such ho things skandalon come erchomai, but plēn woe ouai to the ho one anthrōpos through dia whom hos they ho skandalon come erchomai!

If ei · de · ho your sy hand cheir or ē · ho your sy foot pous causes skandalizō you sy to sin, cut ekkoptō it autos off and kai throw ballō it away apo sy; it is eimi better kalos for you sy to enter eiserchomai · ho life zōē crippled kyllos or ē lame chōlos than ē with echō two dyo hands cheir or ē two dyo feet pous to be thrown ballō into eis · ho eternal aiōnios fire pyr. · ho And kai if ei · ho your sy eye ophthalmos causes skandalizō you sy to sin, gouge exaireō it autos out and kai throw ballō it away apo sy; it is eimi better kalos for you sy to enter eiserchomai life zōē with one monophthalmos eye · ho than ē with echō two dyo eyes ophthalmos to be thrown ballō into eis the ho hell geenna of ho fire pyr.

10  See horaō that you do not despise kataphroneō one heis of ho these houtos little mikros ones . For gar I tell legō you hymeis that hoti · ho their autos angels angelos in en heaven ouranos always dia pas see blepō the ho face prosōpon of ho my egō Father patēr who ho is in en heaven ouranos. 12 What tis do you hymeis think dokeō? If ean a tis man anthrōpos has ginomai a hundred hekaton sheep probaton and kai one heis of ek them autos goes planaō astray , will he not ouchi leave aphiēmi the ho ninety-nine enenēkonta ennea on epi the ho slopes oros and kai go poreuō in search zēteō of the ho one planaō that has wandered off ? 13 And kai if ean he finds ginomai it autos, I tell legō you hymeis the truth amēn, he will rejoice chairō over epi it autos more mallon than ē over epi the ho ninety-nine enenēkonta ennea that ho did not go planaō astray . 14 In the same houtōs way , it is eimi not ou the will thelēma of ho your hymeis Father patēr · ho in en heaven ouranos that hina even one heis of ho these houtos little ones mikros should perish apollymi.

15  If ean · de your sy brother adelphos sins hamartanō, · ho go hypagō and point elenchō out his autos fault between metaxy you sy and kai him autos alone monos. If ean he listens to akouō you sy, you have won kerdainō back · ho your sy brother adelphos. 16 But de if ean he does not listen akouō, take paralambanō one heis or ē two dyo others eti with meta you sy so hina that every pas matter rhēma may be confirmed histēmi on epi the evidence stoma of two dyo or ē three treis witnesses martys. 17 If ean · de he refuses parakouō to listen to them autos, tell legō it to the ho church ekklēsia; and de if ean he refuses to listen parakouō even kai to parakouō the ho church ekklēsia, you sy are to treat eimi him as hōsper a ho pagan ethnikos and kai a ho tax telōnēs collector .

18  I tell legō you hymeis the truth amēn, whatever hosos ean you bind deō on epi · ho earth will eimi have been bound deō in en heaven ouranos, and kai whatever hosos ean you loose lyō on epi · ho earth will eimi have been loosed lyō in en heaven ouranos. 19  Again palin, I tell legō you hymeis the truth amēn, if ean two dyo of ek you hymeis on epi earth are in agreement symphōneō · ho about peri anything pas pragma whatever hos ean you may ask aiteō, it will be done ginomai for you autos by para · ho my egō Father patēr who ho is in en heaven ouranos. 20 For gar where hou two dyo or ē three treis are eimi gathered synagō in eis · ho my emos name onoma, I am eimi there ekei in en their autos midst mesos.”

21 Then tote Peter Petros came proserchomai to · ho Jesus autos and said legō, “ Lord kyrios, how posakis often must I forgive aphiēmi my egō brother adelphos when he sins hamartanō against eis me egō? · ho · kai Up heōs to seven heptakis times ?” 22 Jesus Iēsous said legō to him autos, · ho I do not ou say legō to you sy, up heōs to seven heptakis times , but alla up heōs to seventy hebdomēkontakis times seven hepta. 23 Therefore dia houtos the ho kingdom basileia of ho heaven ouranos is like homoioō a king basileus who hos decided thelō to settle synairō accounts logos with meta · ho his autos servants. 24 And de when he autos had begun archō to settle synairō them, a man heis who owed opheiletēs ten thousand myrios talents talanton was brought prospherō to him autos. 25 And de since he autos did not have echō the means to repay apodidōmi the debt, his ho master kyrios commanded keleuō that he autos be sold pipraskō along kai with his ho wife gynē and kai · ho children teknon and kai everything pas hosos he had echō, and kai that payment apodidōmi be made . 26 So oun the ho servant fell piptō to the ground prostate proskyneō before him autos, saying legō, ‘ Have makrothumeō patience with epi me egō, and kai I will repay apodidōmi you sy everything pas.’ 27 Moved splanchnizomai with compassion , · de the ho master kyrios of ho that ekeinos servant released apolyō him autos and kai forgave aphiēmi him autos the ho debt daneion. 28 But de that ho same ekeinos servant then went out exerchomai and found heuriskō one heis of ho his autos fellow syndoulos servants who hos owed opheilō him autos a hundred hekaton denarii dēnarion; and kai seizing krateō him autos by the throat began to choke pnigō him, saying legō, ‘ Pay apodidōmi back what ei tis you owe opheilō.’ 29 Therefore oun his autos fellow servant syndoulos fell piptō to the ground · ho and pleaded parakaleō with him autos, saying legō Have makrothumeō patience with epi me egō, and kai I will repay apodidōmi you sy.’ 30 But de he ho refused ou thelō. Instead alla, he went aperchomai and threw ballō him autos in eis prison phylakē until heōs he should pay apodidōmi back the ho debt opheilō. 31 So oun when his autos fellow servants syndoulos saw · ho what ho had happened ginomai, they became indignant lypeō and kai went erchomai and told diasapheō · ho their heautou master kyrios all pas that ho had taken place ginomai. 32 Then tote his autos master kyrios called proskaleō him autos in · ho and said legō to him autos, ‘You wicked ponēros servant! I forgave aphiēmi you sy all pas · ho that ekeinos debt opheilē because epei you pleaded parakaleō with me egō. 33 And should dei not ou you sy also kai have had mercy eleeō on · ho your sy fellow syndoulos servant , even as hōs I kagō had mercy on eleeō you sy?’ 34 And kai in anger orgizō · ho his autos master kyrios handed paradidōmi him autos over to the ho prison basanistēs guards to torture him until heōs hos he should pay apodidōmi back all pas · ho he owed opheilō. 35 So houtōs also kai will · ho my egō heavenly ouranios Father patēr · ho do poieō to you hymeis, unless ean mē you each hekastos forgive aphiēmi · ho your autos brother adelphos from apo · ho your hymeis heart kardia.”