bSee Luke 22:32
Matthew 18:1-14
Who Is the Greatest?
1 aAt that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you bturn and cbecome like children, you dwill never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 eWhoever humbles himself like this child is the fgreatest in the kingdom of heaven.5 g“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6but hwhoever causes one of these ilittle ones who believe in me to sin, ▼
▼Greek causes . . . to stumble; also verses 8, 9
it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Temptations to Sin
7“Woe to the world for ktemptations to sin! ▼▼Greek stumbling blocks
mFor it is necessary that temptations come, nbut woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 oAnd 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 crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into pthe eternal fire. 9 qAnd 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 with two eyes to be thrown into the rhell ▼▼Greek Gehenna
of fire. The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10“See that you do not despise tone of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven utheir angels always vsee the face of my Father who is in heaven. ▼▼Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost
12 xWhat do you think? yIf a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14So zit is not the will of my ▼▼Some manuscripts your
Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
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