⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(A)

⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”^(A)

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.^(A)

²² Now that you have purified^(A) yourselves by obeying^(B) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(C) from the heart.^[a]

⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.^(A)

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.^(B)

⁶ For in Christ Jesus^(A) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.^(B) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.^(C)

¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life,^(A) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(B) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(C) is a murderer,^(D) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(E)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(F) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(G) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(H) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(I) 18} Dear children,^(J) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(K)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: