Who is the most important?
(Also in Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48)
1Later the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him: ‘Who is the most important person where God in heaven rules?’ 2Jesus called a child and asked him to stand in front of them. 3Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this and it is sure: You must change your lives and become like children. If you don't, then you will not be able to go in where God in heaven rules. 4Anyone who thinks that he is not important, like this child, is the most important where God in heaven rules over all. 5And when you welcome one of my children, you also welcome Me.’
Things that make people stop believing
(Also in Mark 9:42-50; Luke 17:1-4)
6Jesus said: ‘If anyone does something so that one of these little ones who believes in Me stops believing, then God will punish that person. It would be better for him if they took a very big stone and tied it around his neck and threw him into the sea. 7God will punish anyone who makes other people stop believing. There will always be temptations that make you want to sin, but the person who makes other people stop believing will suffer a lot. 8If your hand or your foot makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to have only one hand or one foot and have eternal_life, than to have 2 hands and 2 feet and go to the fire that burns forever, and never stops. 9If it is your eye that makes you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to have one eye, and have eternal_life, than to have 2 eyes and burn in hell.’
The parable of the lost sheep
10-11Jesus said:
‘You must never think that one of these little ones who believes in Me is unimportant to God. I tell you: They have angels_in_heaven that are always with my Father.
12What happens when a man has 100 sheep and one of them gets lost? What do you think the man will do? He will leave the other 99 sheep on the mountain and he will go and look for the sheep that is lost. 13I tell you this and it is sure: If he finds his sheep that was lost, he will be very happy. He will be more happy for that one sheep that was found than for the 99 sheep that did not get lost.
14Your Father in heaven does not want one of these people to be lost, not one of these people who you think are unimportant to God.’
A believer who sins
15‘When a believer does something wrong to you, you must talk to him and tell him what he has done wrong. Talk to him when you are alone with him. If he listens to you, then you have helped him to be your brother again. 16But if he does not want to listen to you, then you must take one or 2 believers with you so that they can witness what you say to him. This is what is written in the Old_Testament. 17And if he does not want to listen to them, then you must tell this to all the people in the church. And if he does not want to listen to the church, then he must be to you like a person who does not believe, or like a tax-collector.
18I tell you this and it is sure: All the people who do not want to listen to you, when you tell them about the message of God, will not go to heaven, but everyone who listens to you and believes will go to heaven.
19I tell you this and it is sure: When 2 of you agree about something and you ask God to do it for you, then my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20Because where 2 or 3 of you come together to worship Me, I will be there with you.’
The parable of the servant that did not want to forgive
21Peter came to Jesus and asked Him: ‘Lord, how many times must I forgive another believer when he does something wrong to me? Must I forgive him as many as 7 times? Is that enough?’ 22Jesus said to Peter:
‘I tell you: You must not forgive him only 7 times, you must forgive him 70 times 7 and again and again and again. Do not stop. 23Where God in heaven rules over all, it is like when a king decided to see how much money his servants had to pay him. 24The king saw that one servant had a big debt. He had to pay the king 10 000 talents. 25The servant could not pay his debt to the king and the king said they must sell the servant to be a slave and also sell his wife and his children and everything that he had. Then they must take that money to pay some of his debt to the king.
26Then the servant knelt down before the king and he begged the king and said: “Please give me some more time, then I will pay you everything that I must pay you.” 27The king felt sorry for the servant and he let him go free. He said: “You do not have to give me any money. Keep it, and I will forget your debt.”
28When that servant went out, he saw one of the other servants who had to pay him some money. It was only 100 silver_coins. He grabbed the other servant by his throat and said: “You must pay all of the money that you owe me now.”
29The other servant fell on his knees and he begged the first servant and said: “Please give me some more time. I will pay everything that I have to pay you.” 30But the first servant did not want to listen to him. He said they must put the 2nd servant in jail. He had to stay there until he had paid all his debt.
31When the other people saw what had happened, they were very sad. They went to the king and told him what had happened. 32Then the king called the first servant and said to him: “You are a bad servant. You begged me and I said you could keep the money that you had to pay me, and you did not have to pay your debt. 33Why did you not feel sorry for the other servant, like I felt sorry for you?” 34The king was very angry. He said they must give this servant to the guards and put him in jail. He said they must keep on beating him until he had paid all his debt.’
35Then Jesus said: ‘My Father in heaven will do the same with you if you do not want to forgive other people. You must forgive them with all your heart.’
