Matthew 18

The Greatest in the Kingdom

(Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)

1AtG1722 thatG1565 timeG5610 theG3588 disciplesG3101 cameG4334 to JesusG2424 and askedG3004, “WhoG5101 thenG686 isG1510 the greatestG3173 inG1722 theG3588 kingdomG932 ofG3588 heavenG3772?”

2

Jesus invitedG4341 a little childG3813 to standG2476G846 among themG1722G846G3319. 3“TrulyG281 I tellG3004 youG4771,” He saidG2036, “unlessG1437G3361 you changeG4762 andG2532 becomeG1096 likeG5613 little childrenG3813, you will never enterG3756G3361G1525G1519 theG3588 kingdomG932 ofG3588 heavenG3772. 4ThereforeG3767, whoeverG3748 humblesG5013 himselfG1438 likeG5613 thisG3778 little childG3813 isG1510 theG3588 greatestG3173 inG1722 theG3588 kingdomG932 ofG3588 heavenG3772. 5AndG2532 whoeverG3739 welcomesG1437G1209 aG1520 little childG3813 like thisG5108 inG1909 MyG1473 nameG3686 welcomesG1209 MeG1473.

Temptations and Trespasses

(Mark 9:42–48; Luke 17:1–4)

6ButG1161 ifG302 anyoneG3739 causesG4624 oneG1520 of theseG3778 little onesG3398 whoG3588 believeG4100 inG1519 Me to stumbleG1473, it would be betterG4851 for himG846 to haveG2443 a largeG3684 millstoneG3458 hungG2910 aroundG4012 hisG846 neckG5137 andG2532 to be drownedG2670 inG1722 theG3588 depthsG3989 of theG3588 seaG2281.

7WoeG3759 to theG3588 worldG2889 forG575 theG3588 causes of sinG4625. These stumbling blocksG4625 mustG318 comeG2064, butG4133 woeG3759 to theG3588 manG444 throughG1223 whomG3739 they comeG2064!

8

IfG1487 yourG4771 handG5495 orG2228 yourG4771 footG4228 causes you to sinG4624G4771, cut it offG1581G846 andG2532 throw it awayG906G575G4771. It isG1510 betterG2570 for youG4771 to enterG1525G1519 lifeG2222 crippledG2948 orG2228 lameG5560 thanG2228 to haveG2192 twoG1417 handsG5495 and twoG1417 feetG4228 and be thrownG906 intoG1519 theG3588 eternalG166 fireG4442. 9AndG2532 ifG1487 yourG4771 eyeG3788 causes you to sinG4624G4771, gouge it outG1807G846 andG2532 throw it awayG906G575G4771. It isG1510 betterG2570 for youG4771 to enterG1525G1519 lifeG2222 with one eyeG3442 thanG2228 to haveG2192 twoG1417 eyesG3788 and be thrownG906 intoG1519 theG3588 fireG4442 ofG3588 hellG1067.1

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

(Luke 15:1–7)

10SeeG3708 that you do not look down onG3361G2706 anyG1520 of theseG3778 little onesG3398. ForG1063 I tellG3004 youG4771 thatG3754 theirG846 angelsG32 inG1722 heavenG3772 alwaysG1223G3956 seeG991 theG3588 faceG4383 ofG3588 MyG1473 FatherG3962 inG1722 heavenG3772.2

12WhatG5101 do youG4771 thinkG1380? IfG1437 aG5100 manG444 hasG1096 a hundredG1540 sheepG4263 andG2532 oneG1520 ofG1537 themG846 goes astrayG4105, will he not leaveG3780G863 theG3588 ninety-nineG1768G1767 onG1909 theG3588 hillsG3735 andG2532 go outG4198 to search forG2212 theG3588 one that is lostG4105? 13AndG2532 ifG1437 heG1096 findsG2147 itG846, trulyG281 I tellG3004 youG4771, he rejoicesG5463 moreG3123 overG1909 that one sheep thanG2228 overG1909 theG3588 ninety-nineG1768G1767 that did not go astrayG3361G4105. 14In the same wayG3779, yourG4771 FatherG3962 inG1722 heavenG3772 isG1510 notG3756 willingG2307 thatG2443 anyG1520 of theseG3778 little onesG3398 should perishG622.

15

A Brother Who Sins

(Deuteronomy 19:15–21)

IfG1437 yourG4771 brotherG80 sinsG264 againstG1519 youG4771,3 goG5217 and confrontG1651 himG846 privatelyG3441G3342G4771G2532G846. IfG1437 he listens toG191 youG4771, you have wonG2770 yourG4771 brother overG80. 16ButG1161 ifG1437 he will not listenG191, takeG3880 oneG1520 orG2228 twoG1417 othersG2089 alongG3326G4771, so thatG2443 ‘everyG3956 matterG4487 may be establishedG2476 byG1909 the testimonyG4750 of twoG1417 orG2228 threeG5140 witnessesG3144.’4 17IfG1437 he refuses to listenG3878 to themG846, tellG2036 it to theG3588 churchG1577. AndG1161 ifG1437 he refuses to listenG3878 evenG2532 to theG3588 churchG1577, regardG1510 him asG5618 youG4771 would aG3588 paganG1482 or a tax collectorG5057.

18TrulyG281 I tellG3004 youG4771, whateverG3745G1437 you bindG1210 onG1909 earthG1093 will beG1510 boundG1210 inG1722 heavenG3772, andG2532 whateverG3745G1437 you looseG3089 onG1909 earthG1093 will beG1510 loosedG3089 inG1722 heavenG3772.

Ask in My Name

(John 16:23–33)

19AgainG3825, I tellG3004 youG4771 trulyG281 thatG3754 ifG1437 twoG1417 ofG1537 youG4771 onG1909 theG3588 earthG1093 agreeG4856 aboutG4012 anythingG3956G4229 you ask forG1437G154, it will be doneG1096 forG846 you byG3844 MyG1473 FatherG3962 inG1722 heavenG3772. 20ForG1063 whereG3757 twoG1417 orG2228 threeG5140 gather togetherG1510G4863 inG1519 MyG1699 nameG3686, thereG1563 am IG1510 with themG1722G846G3319.”

The Unforgiving Servant

(Romans 12:14–21)

21ThenG5119 PeterG4074 cameG4334 toG846 Jesus and askedG2036, “LordG2962, how many timesG4212 shall I forgiveG863 myG1473 brotherG80 who sinsG264 againstG1519 meG1473? Up toG2193 seven timesG2034?”

22

JesusG2424 answeredG3004G846, “I tellG3004 youG4771, notG3756 justG2193 seven timesG2034, butG235 seventy-seven timesG1441G2033!5

23Because ofG1223 thisG3778, theG3588 kingdomG932 ofG3588 heavenG3772 is likeG3666 a kingG935 whoG3739 wantedG2309 to settleG4868 accountsG3056 withG3326 hisG846 servantsG1401. 24AsG1161 heG846 beganG756 the settlementsG4868, aG1520 debtorG3781 owing ten thousandG3463 talentsG5007 was broughtG4374 to himG846.6 25SinceG1161 the man was unableG3361G2192 to payG591, theG3588 masterG2962 ordered thatG2753 heG846 be soldG4097 to pay his debtG591, along withG2532 his wifeG1135 andG2532 childrenG5043 andG2532 everythingG3956 he ownedG2192.

26ThenG3767 theG3588 servantG1401 fellG4098 on his kneesG4352 before himG846. ‘Have patienceG3114 withG1909 meG1473,’ he beggedG3004, ‘andG2532 I will payG591 backG4771 everythingG3956.’

27

His masterG2962 had compassionG4697 on him, forgaveG863 hisG846 debtG1156, and releasedG630 himG846.

28But whenG1161 thatG1565 servantG1401 went outG1831, he foundG2147 oneG1520 of hisG846 fellow servantsG4889 whoG3739 owedG3784 himG846 a hundredG1540 denariiG1220.7 He grabbedG2902 himG846 and began to chokeG4155 him, sayingG3004, ‘PayG591 backG1487 whatG5100 you oweG3784 me!’

29SoG3767 hisG846 fellow servantG4889 fell downG4098 and beggedG3870 himG846, ‘Have patienceG3114 withG1909 meG1473, andG2532 I will payG591 you backG4771.’

30ButG1161 he refusedG3756G2309. InsteadG235, he wentG565 and had the man thrownG906G846 intoG1519 prisonG5438 untilG2193G3739 he could payG591 his debtG3784.

31When hisG846 fellow servantsG4889 sawG3708 whatG3588 had happenedG1096, they were greatly distressedG4970G3076, andG2532 they wentG2064 and recountedG1285 allG3956 of this toG3588 theirG1438 masterG2962.

32ThenG5119 theG3588 masterG2962 summonedG4341 himG846 and saidG3004, ‘You wickedG4190 servantG1401! I forgaveG863 allG3956 your debtG3782 becauseG1893 you beggedG3870 meG1473. 33Shouldn’tG1163G3756 youG4771 have had mercyG1653 on yourG4771 fellow servantG4889, just asG5613 IG2504 had on youG4771?’ 34In angerG3710 hisG846 masterG2962 turned him overG3860G846 to theG3588 jailers to be torturedG930, untilG2193 he should repayG591 allG3956 thatG3588 he owedG3784.

35That is howG3779 MyG1473 heavenlyG3770 FatherG3962 will treatG4160 each ofG1538 youG4771 unlessG1437G3361 you forgiveG863 your brotherG80 fromG575 yourG4771 heartG2588.”