Matúš 18
1 V tú hodinu pristúpili k Ježišovi učeníci a pýtali sa: „Kto je podľa teba najväčší v nebeskom kráľovstve?“2 On zavolal k sebe dieťa, postavil ho medzi nich3 a povedal: „Veru, hovorím vám: Ak sa neobrátite a nebudete ako deti, nevojdete do nebeského kráľovstva.4 Kto sa teda poníži ako toto dieťa, ten je najväčší v nebeskom kráľovstve.5 A kto prijme jedno takéto dieťa v mojom mene, mňa prijíma.6 Ale pre toho, kto by pohoršil jedného z týchto maličkých, čo veria vo mňa, bolo by lepšie, keby mu zavesili mlynský kameň na krk a ponorili ho do morskej hlbiny.7 Beda svetu pre pohoršenie! Pohoršenia síce musia prísť, ale beda človeku, skrze ktorého pohoršenie prichádza!8 Ak ťa zvádza na hriech tvoja ruka alebo noha, odtni ju a odhoď od seba: je pre teba lepšie, keď vojdeš do života zmrzačený alebo krivý, ako keby ťa mali s obidvoma rukami a s obidvoma nohami hodiť do večného ohňa.9 A ak ťa zvádza na hriech tvoje oko, vylúp ho a odhoď od seba: je pre teba lepšie, keď vojdeš do života s jedným okom, ako keby ťa mali s obidvoma očami vrhnúť do ohnivého pekla.10 Dajte si pozor, aby ste neopovrhli ani jedným z týchto maličkých. Lebo vám hovorím, že ich anjeli v nebi ustavične hľadia na tvár môjho Otca, ktorý je na nebesiach.11 (Syn človeka totiž prišiel zachrániť, čo sa stratilo.)12 Čo myslíte? Keby mal niekto sto oviec a jedna z nich by zablúdila, nenechá tých deväťdesiatdeväť na vrchoch a nepôjde hľadať tú, čo zablúdila?13 A keď sa mu ju podarí nájsť, veru, hovorím vám: Bude mať z nej väčšiu radosť ako z tých deväťdesiatich deviatich, čo nezablúdili.14 Tak ani váš Otec, ktorý je na nebesiach, nechce, aby zahynul čo len jediný z týchto maličkých.15 Keď sa tvoj brat prehreší proti tebe, choď a napomeň ho medzi štyrmi očami. Ak ťa počúvne, získal si svojho brata.16 Ak ťa nepočúvne, priber si ešte jedného alebo dvoch, aby bola každá výpoveď potvrdená ústami dvoch alebo troch svedkov.17 Keby ani ich nepočúvol, povedz to cirkvi. A keby ani cirkev nechcel poslúchnuť, nech ti je ako pohan a mýtnik.18 Veru, hovorím vám: Čo zviažete na zemi, bude zviazané v nebi, a čo rozviažete na zemi, bude rozviazané v nebi.19 A zasa vám hovorím: Ak budú dvaja z vás na zemi jednomyseľne prosiť o čokoľvek, dostanú to od môjho Otca, ktorý je na nebesiach.20 Lebo kde sú dvaja alebo traja zhromaždení v mojom mene, tam som ja medzi nimi.“21 Vtedy k nemu pristúpil Peter a povedal mu: „Pane, koľko ráz mám odpustiť svojmu bratovi, keď sa proti mne prehreší? Azda sedem ráz?“22 Ježiš mu odpovedal: „Hovorím ti: Nie sedem ráz, ale sedemdesiatsedem ráz.23 Preto sa nebeské kráľovstvo podobá kráľovi, ktorý sa rozhodol vyúčtovať so svojimi sluhami.24 Keď začal účtovať, priviedli mu jedného, ktorý bol dlžen desaťtisíc talentov.25 Ale pretože nemal skadiaľ vrátiť, pán rozkázal predať jeho aj jeho ženu, aj deti i všetko, čo mal, a dlh splatiť.26 Vtedy mu sluha padol k nohám a na kolenách ho prosil: »Pozhovej mi a všetko ti vrátim.«27 A pán sa nad sluhom zľutoval, prepustil ho a odpustil mu aj dlžobu.28 No len čo ten sluha vyšiel, stretol sa so svojím spolusluhom, ktorý mu dlhoval sto denárov. Chytil ho pod krk a kričal: »Vráť, čo mi dlhuješ!«29 Jeho spolusluha mu padol k nohám a prosil ho: »Pozhovej mi a dlžobu ti splatím.«30 On však nechcel, ale odišiel a vrhol ho do žalára, kým dlh nesplatí.31 Keď jeho spolusluhovia videli, čo sa stalo, veľmi sa zarmútili. Išli a rozpovedali svojmu pánovi všetko, čo sa stalo.32 A tak si ho pán predvolal a povedal mu: »Zlý sluha, ja som ti odpustil celú dlžobu, pretože si ma prosil.33 Nemal si sa teda aj ty zľutovať nad svojím spolusluhom, ako som sa ja zľutoval nad tebou?«34 A rozhnevaný pán ho vydal mučiteľom, kým nesplatí celú dlžobu.35 Tak aj môj nebeský Otec urobí vám, ak neodpustíte zo srdca každý svojmu bratovi.“
MATTHEW 18
Who Is the Greatest?
(Mark 9.33-37; Luke 9.46-48)
1 t About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 2 Jesus called for a child to come over and stand near him.
3 t Then he said:
I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. 4 But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.Temptations To Sin
(Mark 9.42-48; Luke 17.1,2)
6 It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the deepest part of the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their necks!
7 The world is in for trouble because of the way it causes people to sin. There will always be something to cause people to sin, but anyone who does this will be in for trouble.
8 t If your hand or foot causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! You would be better off to go into life paralyzed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out.
9 t If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and get rid of it. You would be better off to go into life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.The Lost Sheep
(Luke 15.3-7)
10-11 t Don't be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you their angels are always with my Father in heaven.t 12 Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had 100 sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn't you leave the 99 on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the 99 that never wandered off.
14 That's how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn't want any of these little ones to be lost.When Someone Sins
(Luke 17.3)
15 t If one of my followerst sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. 16 t But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses.
17 If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.tAllowing and Not Allowing
18 t I promise you God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but God will not allow anything you don't allow. 19 I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
20 Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, t I am there with you.An Official //Who Refused To Forgive
21 t Peter came up to the Lord and asked, “How many times should I forgive someonet who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?”
22 t Jesus answered:
Not just 7 times, but 77 times!t
23 This story will show you what the kingdom of heaven is like:
One day a king decided to call in his officials and ask them to give an account of what they owed him. 24 As he was doing this, one official was brought in who owed him 50,000,000 silver coins.
25 But he didn't have any money to pay what he owed. The king ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all he owned, in order to pay the debt.
26 The official got down on his knees and began begging, “Have pity on me, and I will pay you every cent I owe!”
27 The king felt sorry for him and let him go free. He even told the official that he did not have to pay back the money.
28 But as this official was leaving, he happened to meet another official, who owed him 100 silver coins. So he grabbed the man by the throat. He started choking him and said, “Pay me what you owe!”
29 The man got down on his knees and began begging, “Have pity on me, and I will pay you back.”
30 But the first official refused to have pity. Instead, he went and had the other official put in jail until he could pay what he owed.
31 When some other officials found out what had happened, they felt sorry for the man who had been put in jail. Then they told the king what had happened. 32 The king called the first official back in and said, “You're an evil man! When you begged for mercy, I said you did not have to pay back a cent. 33 Don't you think you should show pity to someone else, as I did to you?” 34 The king was so angry that he ordered the official to be tortured until he could pay back everything he owed. 35 That is how my Father in heaven will treat you, if you don't forgive each of my followers with all your heart.