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UST MAT Chapter 18

18 Immediately after that, the apprentices came to Jesus. They asked him, “So then, who will be the most important people in God’s heavenly kingdom?” 2 Jesus told a young child to come to him. He had the young child stand among them. 3 Then he told them, “You need to change so that you are like young children. That is the only way to participate in God’s heavenly kingdom. What I have said is true. 4 So then, consider people who make themselves less important, so that they are as unimportant as this young child. It is those people who are the most important in God’s heavenly kingdom. 5 Further, when people, because they are my apprentices, welcome a young child such as this one here, it is the same as welcoming me.

6 On the other hand, suppose that an unsignificant person who trusts me sinned because of certain people. God will punish those people so severely that they would prefer to have someone tie a heavy stone around their necks and drop them into the middle of the ocean. 7 How terrible it will be for people in this world because of the things that cause them to sin! Now those things have to exist. However, how terrible it will be for the people who cause those things to exist! 8 Suppose that you sinned because you touched something or went somewhere. You should never do that again, even if you have to chop off your hands or your feet to make sure of it! You should respond that drastically because it is better for you to truly live without hands or feet than to have both hands and feet but end up in hell. 9 Suppose that you sinned because you looked at something. You should never do that again, even if you have to remove your eyes to make sure of it! You should respond that drastically because it is better for you to truly live with only one eye than to have both eyes but end up in hell.

10 Do not consider even one unsignificant person who trusts me to be unimportant. In fact, I want you to know that the angels that protect them are in heaven. They are continually with God my Father, who rules from heaven. 11 [fn] [I, the Son of Man, am here to rescue people who do not worship and obey God.] 12 Think about this situation: A man owns 100 sheep, but one of them wanders away. The man will most certainly leave the 99 other sheep on the side of a hill by themselves and search for the one sheep that wandered away! 13 Now suppose that he found the one sheep that wandered away. He would be much happier about this one sheep than about the 99 other sheep that did not wander away. What I have said is true! 14 God your Father, who rules from heaven, is like that man. He does not want even one unsignificant person who trusts me to end up in hell.

15 Suppose that fellow believers sin against you. You should visit them and privately tell them what they did wrong. Suppose that they accept what you say. In that case, you have made things right with your fellow believers. 16 However, suppose that those fellow believers do not accept what you say. In that case, bring one or two other believers with you when you visit them again to tell them what they did wrong. That way, you are doing what Moses wrote in the law about how two or three people must confirm what someone says. 17 Suppose that those fellow believers reject what the people you brought with you say. In that case, tell the whole group of believers about what happened. Finally, suppose that those fellow believers reject what the group of believers says. In that case, treat those fellow believers as if they were unbelieving non-Jews or people who collect taxes. Do not treat them as fellow believers any longer. 18 When you confirm anything here on earth, God will confirm it in heaven. When you nullify anything here on earth, God will nullify it in heaven. What I have said is true! 19 Also, when at least two of you here on earth together request the same thing, God my Father, who rules from heaven, will do whatever it is that you requested. What I have said is true! 20 God will do that because I am spiritually present whenever at least two or three of you come together as my apprentices.”

21 After that, Peter came to Jesus and asked, “My Lord, how many times do I need to forgive fellow believers when they keep sinning against me? Do I need to forgive them as many as seven times?” 22 Jesus replied, “I tell you that you must forgive others 77 times and more, not just seven times.” 23 Given what I have told you, here is what God’s heavenly kingdom is like: a king wished to have his servants pay him what they owed him. 24 So, the king began to find out what his servants owed him. Someone led in a servant who owed the king an extremely large sum of money. 25 However, the servant did not have enough money to pay what he owed. So, the king told his men, ‘Sell as slaves the servant, the servant’s wife, and the servant’s children. Also, sell anything that the servant owns. Then, give me the money that you received.’ 26 After he heard that, the servant knelt down in front of the king. He begged him, ‘My lord, please wait patiently. I will eventually pay all the money that I owe.’ 27 The king pitied his servant. So, he did not require the servant to pay what he owed, and he let him go. 28 When the servant left the king, he noticed another servant who owed him only 100 small coins. He grabbed that servant around the throat and began to squeeze it. He demanded, ‘Pay me the money that you owe!’ 29 After he heard that, the other servant knelt down before him. He begged him, ‘Please wait patiently. I will eventually pay the money that I owe.’ 30 However, that servant did not want to wait. When he left that place, he had someone put the other servant in jail and keep him there until he payed the money that he owed. 31 When the rest of the servants learned what that servant had done, they became very sad. They went to the king and told him about everything that the servant had done. 32 After that, the king told that servant to come to him. The king told him, ‘You are an evil servant! Since you asked me to wait patiently, I did not require you to pay any of what you owed. 33 I helped you. So, you should have helped the other servant.’ 34 Then the king was angry. He had his men arrest and torture that servant until he payed all the money that he owed. 35 Whenever any of you do not completely forgive a fellow believer, God my Father, who rules from heaven, will do to you what that king did to his servant.”

Some ancient manuscripts include verse 11.

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