Book of Common Prayer

Who Is The Greatest In The Kingdom? Whoever Will Humble Himself Like This Child

18 At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then^[a] is greater^[b] in the kingdom of the heavens?” ² And having summoned a child, He stood him^[c] in the middle of them, ³ and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are turned-around ^[d] and become like children^[e], you will never enter into the kingdom of the heavens. ⁴ Therefore whoever will humble himself like this child, this one is the greater one in the kingdom of the heavens.

But Woe To Whoever Causes One of My Children Believing In Me To Fall

⁵ “And whoever welcomes^[f] one such^[g] child on the basis of My name, welcomes Me. ⁶ But whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to fall— it would be better^[h] for him that a donkey’s millstone^[i] be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the deep-part^[j] of the sea.

Woe To The World Because of Causes of Falling. Better To Tear Out Your Eye

⁷ “Woe to the world because of the causes-of-falling. For it is a necessity that causes-of-falling should come; nevertheless, woe to the person through whom the cause-of-falling comes. ⁸ But if your hand or your foot is causing you to fall, cut it off and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than to be thrown into the eternal fire having two hands or two feet. ⁹ And if your eye is causing you to fall, tear it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than to be thrown into the Gehenna^[k] of fire having two eyes.

Don’t Look Down On These Little Ones. God Does Not Want One of Them Lost

¹⁰ “See that you do not look-down-upon^[l] one of these little ones. For I say to you that their angels in the heavens are continually seeing^[m] the face of My Father in the heavens. ^{11 [n] 12} What seems right to you? If a hundred sheep belong to any man and one of them went-astray, will he not leave the ninety nine on the mountains, and having gone, be seeking the one going astray? ¹³ And if it comes about that he finds it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety nine not having gone astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will in-the-sight-of ^[o] your Father in the heavens that one of these little ones should be-lost.

Jesus Blesses The Children. Of Such Is The Kingdom of God

¹³ And they were bringing children to Him in order that He might touch them. But the disciples rebuked them^[a]. ¹⁴ But Jesus, having seen it, was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to be coming to Me. Do not be forbidding them. For the kingdom of God is of ^[b] such ones. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never^[c] enter into it”. ¹⁶ And having taken them in His arms, He was blessing^[d] them, while laying His hands on them.