Matthæus 18
Den største er den, som vil tjene
1 Hvem er den største i Guds rige? spurgte disciplene engang.2 Jesus kaldte da på et lille barn og stillede det midt i kredsen.3 Så sagde han: Det siger jeg jer: Hvis ikke I ændrer jeres måde at tænke på og bliver som små børn, kommer I slet ikke ind i Guds rige.4 Den, der ydmyger sig og bliver som barnet her, er den største i Guds rige.
5 Og den, der accepterer et lille barn, fordi det hører mig til, accepterer i virkeligheden mig.
Fristelser, som fører til fortabelse
6 Men hvis nogen ødelægger troen hos en af de små, der har tillid til mig, var det bedre for det menneske, om det blev kastet i havet med en møllesten om halsen.
7 Ak, hvilken elendig verden, som får mennesker til at miste troen! Fristelser er ganske vist uundgåelige, men ve det menneske, der forårsager, at et andet menneske falder fra troen.
8 Hvis din hånd eller fod er skyld i, at du falder fra troen, så hug den af og kast den fra dig. Det er bedre for dig at gå ind til det evige liv uden din hånd eller fod end at kastes i den evige ild med arme og ben i behold.
9 Hvis dit øje er skyld i, at du falder fra troen, så riv det ud og kast det fra dig. Det er bedre at gå enøjet ind til det evige liv end at ende i Helvedes ild med begge øjne i behold.
Gud ønsker ikke, at nogen går fortabt
10 Pas på, at I ikke ringeagter en af disse små, for det siger jeg jer: de har deres engle i Himlen, og de er altid i min Fars nærhed.t
12 Hvis en mand har 100 får, og et af dem kommer på afveje, lader han så ikke de 99 andre blive tilbage på græsgangen for at gå ud og lede efter det, der er forsvundet?13 Og hvis han så finder det, vil han så ikke glæde sig mere over det ene får end over de 99 derhjemme, som ikke fór vild?
14 Sådan er det også med jeres Himmelske Far. Han vil ikke, at en eneste af disse små skal gå fortabt.
Om irettesættelse, udelukkelse af menigheden og enhed i bøn
15 Hvis din vent forsynder sig imod dig,t så konfronter ham med det under fire øjne. Hvis han hører på dig og beder om tilgivelse, så har du fået din ven tilbage.16 Hvis ikke, skal du tage en eller to andre med dig, for enhver sag skal afgøres på to eller tre vidners udsagn.17 Hvis han stadig ikke vil høre på dig, skal du indbringe sagen for menighedens ledelse. Hvis han heller ikke vil høre på dem, bør han formenes adgang til menigheden.18 Det siger jeg jer: Det, I sætter en stopper for på jorden, er der sat en stopper for i Himlen, og det, I åbner op for på jorden, er der åbnet op for i Himlen.t19 Jeg siger jer også, at hvad som helst to af jer her på jorden bliver enige om at bede om, det vil min Far i Himlen gøre for jer.
20 For hvor to eller tre er samlet i mit navn, der vil jeg selv være til stede.
Om tilgivelsens nødvendighed
21 Herre, hvor mange gange skal jeg tilgive en, der forsynder sig imod mig? spurgte Peter. Er syv gange nok?22 Nej, svarede Jesus, lad det være 77 gange!t23 Med Guds rige er det nemlig som med en konge, der bad sine embedsmænd om at aflægge regnskab.24 Den første skyldte ham et millionbeløb.t25 Da han ikke kunne betale sin gæld, gav kongen ordre til, at alt hvad han ejede, skulle beslaglægges, og at han selv, hans kone og hans børn skulle sælges som slaver.26 Manden faldt på knæ for kongen og bad: Vær tålmodig med mig, så skal jeg nok betale det hele tilbage!
27 Så fik kongen ondt af ham, eftergav ham al hans gæld og lod ham gå.
28 Udenfor stødte embedsmanden på en kollega, der skyldte ham et par tusinde.t Betal, hvad du skylder mig! hvæsede han og greb ham i struben.29 Kollegaen faldt på knæ for ham. Vær tålmodig med mig, bønfaldt han, så skal jeg nok betale!
30 Men det ville han ikke høre tale om. Tværtimod fik han kollegaen arresteret og kastet i fængsel, hvor han skulle blive indtil hele gælden var betalt.
31 De andre kollegaer blev meget bedrøvede, da de så, hvad der foregik. De gik straks til kongen og aflagde rapport.32 Kongen kaldte så embedsmanden ind igen. Din ondskabsfulde slyngel, sagde kongen. Her eftergav jeg dig hele din gæld - og det bare fordi du bad mig om det.33 Burde du så ikke vise andre lidt medfølelse?
34 Derefter gav den vrede konge ordre til sine fængselsbetjente om at sætte ham i fængsel, indtil gælden var betalt.
35 Sådan vil min himmelske Far også gøre med jer, hvis I ikke tilgiver hinanden af hele jeres hjerte, sluttede Jesus.
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.”