MATEO 18

IX. SERMÓN SOBRE LA VIDA DE LA COMUNIDAD (18)

¿Quién es el más importante?

(Mc 9.33-37; Lc 9.46-48)

1 En aquella misma ocasión se acercaron a Jesús los discípulos y le preguntaron:
–¿Quién es el más importante en el reino de los cielos?t 2 Jesús llamó a un niño, lo puso en medio de ellos

3 y dijo:
–Os aseguro que si no cambiáis y os volvéis como niños, no entraréis en el reino de los cielos.t 4 El más importante en el reino de los cielos es aquel que se humilla y se vuelve como este niño.

5 Y el que recibe en mi nombre a un niño como este, a mí me recibe.

El peligro de caer en pecado

(Mc 9.42-48; Lc 17.1-2)

7 ¡Ay del mundo a causa de las incitaciones al pecado!t Cierto es que siempre las habrá, pero ¡ay del hombre que haga pecar a los demás!
8 “Por eso, si tu mano o tu pie te hacen caer en pecado, córtalos y échalos lejos de ti; mejor te es entrar en la vida manco o cojo, que con tus dos manos y tus dos pies ser arrojado al fuego eterno.

9 Y si tu ojo te hace caer en pecado, sácalo y échalo lejos de ti; mejor te es entrar en la vida con un solo ojo, que con tus dos ojos ser arrojado al fuego del infierno.t

Parábola del pastor que encuentra a su oveja

(Lc 15.3-7)

11 t
12 “¿Qué os parece? Si un hombre tiene cien ovejas y se le extravía una de ellas, ¿no dejará las otras noventa y nueve en el monte e irá a buscar la extraviada?t 13 Y si logra encontrarla, os aseguro que se alegrará más por esa oveja que por las noventa y nueve que no se extraviaron.

14 Del mismo modo, vuestro Padre que está en el cielo no quiere que se pierda ninguno de estos pequeños.t

Hasta setenta veces siete

(Lc 17.3)

17 Si tampoco les hace caso a ellos, díselo a la congregación;t y si tampoco hace caso a la congregación, considéralo como un pagano o como uno de esos que cobran impuestos para Roma.

18 “Os aseguro que todo lo que atéis en este mundo, también quedará atado en el cielo; y todo lo que desatéis en este mundo, también quedará desatado en el cielo.t
19 “Además os digo que si dos de vosotros os ponéis de acuerdo aquí en la tierra para pedir algo en oración, mi Padre que está en el cielo os lo dará.t

20 Porque donde dos o tres se reúnen en mi nombre, allí estoy yo en medio de ellos.”

21 Entonces Pedro fue y preguntó a Jesús:
–Señor, ¿cuántas veces he de perdonar a mi hermano, si me ofende? ¿Hasta siete?

22 Jesús le contestó:
–No te digo hasta siete veces, sino hasta setenta veces siete.t

Parábola del funcionario que no quiso perdonar

27 El rey tuvo compasión de él, le perdonó la deuda y lo dejó ir en libertad.
28 “Pero al salir, aquel funcionario se encontró con un compañero que le debía una pequeña cantidad.t Lo agarró del cuello y lo ahogaba, diciendo: ‘¡Págame lo que me debes!’ 29 El compañero se echó a sus pies, rogándole: ‘Ten paciencia conmigo y te lo pagaré todo.’ 30 Pero el otro no quiso, sino que le hizo meter en la cárcel hasta que pagara la deuda. 31 Esto disgustó mucho a los demás compañeros, que fueron a contar al rey todo lo sucedido. 32 El rey entonces le mandó llamar y le dijo: ‘¡Malvado!, yo te perdoné toda aquella deuda porque me lo rogaste. 33 Pues también tú debiste tener compasión de tu compañero, del mismo modo que yo tuve compasión de ti.’

34 Tanto se indignó el rey, que ordenó castigarle hasta que pagara toda la deuda.”t

35 Jesús añadió:
–Esto mismo hará con vosotros mi Padre celestial, si cada uno no perdona de corazón a su hermano.t

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.”