Book of Common Prayer

He teaches his disciples to be humble and harmless, to avoid occasions of inducement to sin, and to forgive one another their offences.

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? ² Jesus called a child to him, and set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become as children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever therefore humbles himself like this child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever receives such a child in my name, receives me. ⁶ But whoever hurts one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe be to the world because of offences. However, it cannot be avoided but that offences will come. Nevertheless, woe be to the man by whom the offence comes.

⁸ And so if your hand or your foot causes you to offend, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed than for you, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. ⁹ And if also your eye causes you to offend, tear it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

¹⁰ See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I say to you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. ¹¹ Yea, and the Son of man has come to save that which is lost. ¹² What do you think: if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go and seek that one which has gone astray? ¹³ If it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

¹³ And they brought children to him, for him to touch them. And his disciples rebuked the people who brought them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw that, he was displeased, and said to them, Suffer the children to come to me, and forbid them not. For of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, he shall not enter therein. ¹⁶ And he took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them, and blessed them.