The Gospel According to St. Matthew

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- Chapter 18 -

(Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)

In that hour, the disciples drew near to Jesus, saying, “Whom do you consider to be greater in the kingdom of heaven?”

And Jesus, calling to himself a little child, placed him in their midst.

And he said: “Amen I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever will have humbled himself like this little child, such a one is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

And whoever shall accept one such little child in my name, accepts me.

Temptations and Trespasses

(Mark 9:42–48; Luke 17:1–4)

But whoever will have led astray one of these little ones, who trust in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck, and to be submerged in the depths of the sea.(a)

(b)

Woe to a world that leads people astray! Although it is necessary for temptations to arise, nevertheless: Woe to that man through whom temptation arises!(c)

So if your hand or your foot leads you to sin, cut it off and cast it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life disabled or lame, than to be sent into eternal fire having two hands or two feet.(d)

And if your eye leads you to sin, root it out and cast it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to be sent into the fires of Hell having two eyes.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

(Luke 15:1–7)

See to it that you do not despise even one of these little ones. For I say to you, that their Angels in heaven continually look upon the face of my Father, who is in heaven.(e)

For the Son of man has come to save what had been lost.

How does it seem to you? If someone has one hundred sheep, and if one of them has gone astray, should he not leave behind the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go out to seek what has gone astray?

And if he should happen to find it: Amen I say to you, that he has more joy over that one, than over the ninety-nine which did not go astray.

Even so, it is not the will before your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should be lost.

A Brother Who Sins

(Deuteronomy 19:15–21)

But if your brother has sinned against you, go and correct him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you will have regained your brother.

But if he will not listen you, invite with you one or two more, so that every word may stand by the mouth of two or three witnesses.(f)

And if he will not listen to them, tell the Church. But if he will not listen to the Church, let him be to you like the pagan and the tax collector.

Amen I say to you, whatever you will have bound on earth, shall be bound also in heaven, and whatever you will have released on earth, shall be released also in heaven.

Ask in My Name

(John 16:23–33)

Again I say to you, that if two of those among you have agreed on earth, about anything whatsoever that they have requested, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in heaven.

For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I, in their midst.”(g)

The Unforgiving Servant

(Romans 12:14–21)

Then Peter, drawing near to him, said: “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?”

Jesus said to him: “I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who was king, who wanted to take account of his servants.

And when he had begun taking account, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.(h)

(i)

But since he did not have any way to repay it, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children, and all that he had, in order to repay it.

But that servant, falling prostrate, begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.’

Then the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, released him, and he forgave his debt.

But when that servant departed, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarius. And taking hold of him, he choked him, saying: ‘Repay what you owe.’(j)

And his fellow servant, falling prostrate, petitioned him, saying: ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.’

But he was not willing. Instead, he went out and had him sent to prison, until he would repay the debt.

Now his fellow servants, seeing what was done, were greatly saddened, and they went and reported to their lord all that was done.

Then his lord called him, and he said to him: ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you all your debt, because you pleaded with me.

Therefore, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I also had compassion on you?’

And his lord, being angry, handed him over to the torturers, until he repaid the entire debt.

So, too, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if each one of you will not forgive his brother from your hearts.”

Footnotes

(a)18:6 The phrase ‘mola asinaria’ refers to the type of millstone that is so large as to require a team of donkeys to turn it for grinding; in other words, it is a very large millstone.(Conte)

(b)18:6 Shall scandalize:That is, shall put a stumblingblock in their way, and cause them to fall into sin.(Challoner)

(d)18:8 Scandalize you:That is, cause you to offend.(Challoner)

(e)18:10 The holy Angels have the Beatific vision.(Conte)

(f)18:16 The Teaching of the Church stands by the two witnesses of Tradition and Scripture, and by the third witness of the Sacred Magisterium.(Conte)

(g)18:20 There am I in the midst of them:This is understood of such assemblies only as are gathered in the name and authority of Christ; and in unity of the church of Christ. St. Cyprian, De Unitate Ecclesiae.(Challoner)

(h)18:24 One talent (probably of silver, in this case) was equivalent to about 25 or so kilograms, so this was a huge sum of money. Also, to owe this large a sum, he would have to be one of the nobility, not the type of servant who did manual labor.(Conte)

(i)18:24 Talents:A talent was seven hundred and fifty ounces of silver, which at the rate of five shillings to the ounce is a hundred and eighty-seven pounds ten shillings sterling.(Challoner)

(j)18:28 Pence:The Roman penny was the eighth part of an ounce, that is, about sevenpence half-penny English.(Challoner)

(Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them

and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,

Temptations and Trespasses

(Mark 9:42–48; Luke 17:1–4)

but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck and that he were sunk in the depths of the sea.

“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.

If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna (a) of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

(Luke 15:1–7)

See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost. (b)

“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?

If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.

Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

A Brother Who Sins

(Deuteronomy 19:15–21)

“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.

But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (c)

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.

Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.

Ask in My Name

(John 16:23–33)

Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”

The Unforgiving Servant

(Romans 12:14–21)

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. (d)

But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’

The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.

“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, (e) and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.

So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

Footnotes

(a)18:9 or, Hell

(b)18:11 NU omits verse 11.

(d)18:24 Ten thousand talents (about 300 metric tons of silver) represents an extremely large sum of money, equivalent to about 60,000,000 denarii, where one denarius was typical of one day’s wages for agricultural labor.

(e)18:28 100 denarii was about one sixtieth of a talent, or about 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of silver.