Evanðelje po Mateju 18

Tko je najveći u kraljevstvu

1 U taj čas dođu k Isusu učenici te ga zapitaju: "Tko je najveći u nebeskom kraljevstvu?"2 Isus pozove malo dijete pa ga postavi među njih3 i reče: "Zaista vam kažem, ako se ne obratite i ne postanete poput male djece, nećete ući u nebesko kraljevstvo.4 U nebeskome je kraljevstvu, dakle, najveći onaj tko se ponizi kao ovo malo dijete.5 Tko zaradi mene primi ovakvo dijete, mene prima.

6 Ali tko jednoga od ovih malenih koji vjeruju u mene navede da posrne u vjeri, bilo bi mu bolje da mu o vrat objese mlinski kamen i da potone u morsku dubinu.
7 Teško svijetu jer navodi ljude na grijeh! Napast na zlo je neizbježna, ali teško čovjeku kroz kojega dolazi napast.8 Navodi li te na grijeh vlastita ruka ili noga, odsijeci ju i baci. Bolje da u nebo uđeš kljast ili hrom nego da s objema rukama i s objema nogama budeš bačen u vječni oganj.

9 Navodi li te na grijeh vlastito oko, iskopaj ga i baci. Bolje da jednook uđeš u nebo nego da s oba oka budeš bačen u ognjeni pakao.
10 Pazite da ne prezrete nijednoga od ovih malenih. Jer kažem vam da njihovi anđeli na nebu neprestano gledaju lice mojega Oca, koji je na nebesima. (

11 A ja, Sin Čovječji, došao sam spasiti izgubljene.)"

Prispodoba o izgubljenoj ovci

12 "Što mislite, da netko ima sto ovaca i da jedna od njih zaluta, neće li ostaviti onih devedeset devet u gorama i poći potražiti zalutalu?13 Zaista vam kažem, ako ju uspije naći, više će se radovati što je pronašao tu jednu ovcu nego što ih devedeset devet nije zalutalo.

14 Tako ni vaš nebeski Otac ne želi da se izgubi i propadne ijedan od ovih malenih."

Opomena drugim vjernicima

15 "Ako ti brat zgriješi, ukori ga nasamo. Posluša li te, zadobio si brata.16 Ako te ne posluša, povedi sa sobom još jednoga ili dvojicu braće da se svaka tvrdnja temelji na iskazu dvojice ili trojice svjedoka.17 Ne posluša li ni njih, reci Crkvi. Ako ne posluša ni Crkvu, smatraj ga poganinom i pokvarenim.

18 Zaista vam kažem, što god svežete na zemlji, bit će svezano na nebu i što god odriješite na zemlji, bit će odriješeno na nebu.
19 Također vam kažem: ako dvojica od vas nas na zemlji jednodušno zamole bilo što, moj će im nebeski Otac to dati.

20 Jer gdje se dvojica ili trojica sastanu zaradi mene, tu sam i ja s njima."

Priča o okrutnom dužniku

21 Tada mu priđe Petar i upita: "Gospodine, koliko puta da oprostim bratu koji je zgriješio protiv mene? Sedam puta?"22 "Ne sedam puta," odgovori mu Isus, "već sedamdeset puta sedam!23 Nebesko je kraljevstvo kao kad kralj odluči izravnati račune sa slugama.24 Kad su počeli obračunavati, dovedu mu jednoga koji mu je dugovao tristo tona zlata.25 Kako nije mogao vratiti, kralj zapovjedi da se prodaju on, žena, djeca i sve što imaju te da se tako podmiri dug.26 Sluga nato padne ničice pred njim i zamoli: 'Imaj strpljenja sa mnom i sve ću ti vratiti!'

27 Kralj se sažali nad njim, oslobodi ga i oprosti mu dug.
28 Ali kad taj sluga iziđe, susretne prijatelja koji je njemu dugovao malo novca. Ščepa ga za vrat i počne ga daviti govoreći: 'Vrati što si dužan!'29 Prijatelj klekne pred njega i zamoli: 'Imaj sa mnom strpljenja i vratit ću ti!'

30 Ali njegov vjerovnik nije htio pričekati, nego ode i baci ga u tamnicu dok ne vrati dug.
31 Kad su njegovi prijatelji vidjeli što se dogodilo, silno se ražaloste te odu sve ispričati kralju.32 Nato ga kralj pozove i reče mu: 'Zli slugo! Ja sam tebi oprostio sav dug jer si me zamolio!33 Nisi li se i ti trebao smilovati svojemu prijatelju kao što sam se ja tebi smilovao?

34 I gnjevni ga kralj preda mučiteljima dok ne vrati sav dug.
35 Tako će i moj nebeski Otac postupiti s vama ne oprostite li svojemu bratu od sveg srca."

Matthew 18

Questions About the Greatest

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2 He called a child, had him stand among them,3 and said, “I tell you the truth,t unless you turn around and become like little children,s you will nevert enter the kingdom of heaven!4 Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoever welcomest a child like this in my name welcomes me.
6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,t it would be better for him to have a huge millstonets hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.t7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Itt is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.8 Ift your hand or your foot causes you to sin,s cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to havet two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to havet two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.ts

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.ss12 What do you think? If someonet owns a hundreds sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?s13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth,t he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

Restoring Christian Relationships

15 “Ift your brothert sins,s go and show him his faultt when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.s

17 Ift he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. Ift he refuses to listen to the church, treat him liket a Gentilet or a tax collector.s
18 “I tell you the truth,t whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.19 Again, I tell you the truth,t if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.t

20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”
21 Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brothert who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!t

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.t24 Ast he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talentss was brought to him.25 Becauset he was not able to repay it,t the lord ordered him to be sold, along witht his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made.26 Then the slave threw himself to the groundt before him, saying,s ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.28 Aftert he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins.t Sot he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him,t saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’t29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him,t ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt.31 Whent his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place.32 Then his lord called the first slavet and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture himt until he repaid all he owed.

35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive yourt brothert from your heart.”