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MATTEUS 18

Wie die belangrikste in God se koninkryk is

1 In daardie tyd het die dissipels na Jesus toe gekom met die vraag: "Wie van ons sal die belangrikste wees in God se koninkryk?"

2 Jesus roep toe 'n klein kindjie nader en laat dié tussen hulle staan.

3 Toe sê Hy: "As julle nie met ander oë na die lewe begin kyk en soos die kindertjies word nie, sal julle beslis nie in die koninkryk van God ingaan nie.
4 "Daarom is elkeen wat so nederig soos hierdie kindjie word die belangrikste in God se koninkryk.5 En elkeen wat 'n kindjie soos hierdie een ter wille van My verwelkom, verwelkom My.

6 Maar elkeen wat een van hierdie kleinstes wat in My glo, tot 'n val bring - vir hom sal dit beter wees om met 'n meulsteen om sy nek in die see te verdrink.

7 "Dié wat ander tot 'n val bring, bring ellende in die wêreld! Daar sal noodwendig sulke mense wees, maar God sal die mens straf wat iemand anders tot 'n val bring.
8 "Daarom, as jou hand of jou voet jou laat sondig, kap dit af en gooi dit weg van jou af. Dit is vir jou beter om vermink of kreupel te lewe as om met al twee jou hande en al twee jou voete in die vuur gegooi te word wat nooit geblus sal word nie.

9 En as jou oog jou laat sonde doen, pluk dit uit en gooi dit weg. Dit is vir jou beter om halfblind in die hemel in te gaan as om met twee oë en al in die hel se vuur gegooi te word.

10 "Maak seker dat julle nie op een van hierdie kleinstes neersien nie. Besef julle dat die engele in die hemel wat oor hulle waak, elke oomblik in die teenwoordigheid van my hemelse Vader verkeer?"

Die gelykenis van die weggeraakte skaap

12 "As iemand 100 skape het en een van hulle raak weg, wat dink julle sal hy doen? Sal hy nie die 99 net daar tussen die rantjies los en die wegloop-een gaan soek nie?

13 En as hy hom wel kry, wil Ek julle verseker hy sal blyer wees oor daardie een as oor die 99 wat nie weggeraak het nie!

14 "Net so wil julle Vader in die hemel nie hê dat één van hierdie kleinstes verlore gaan nie."

Hoe ons medegelowiges moet reghelp

15 "As een van jou medegelowiges iets verkeerds teen jou gedoen het, gaan wys hom daarop. Maar hou dit tussen julle twee. As hy sy fout insien en erken, het jy hom teruggewen.16 Maar as jy nie daarin slaag nie, neem nog een of twee saam met jou. So sal daar twee of drie getuies wees om te bevestig wat gesê word.17 Maar as hy nog steeds weier om te luister, moet jy dit aan die gemeente gaan meedeel. As hy egter ook weier om na die gemeente te luister, moet hy vir jou wees soos 'n ongelowige of 'n tollenaar.

18 Dít verseker Ek julle: Watter dinge julle ook al op aarde bind, sal in die hemel gebind wees. En watter dinge julle ook op die aarde losmaak, sal in die hemel losgemaak wees.
19 "Boonop verseker Ek julle: As twee van julle hier op aarde saamstem oor enigiets wat julle van God wil vra, sal my hemelse Vader dit vir julle doen.

20 Waar twee of drie bymekaar is, is Ek immers ook saam met hulle daar."

Die gelykenis van die amptenaar met dubbele standaarde

21 Daarop kom vra Petrus Hom: "Here, hoeveel maal moet ek 'n medegelowige vergewe wat iets verkeerds teen my gedoen het? Selfs tot sewe maal toe?"

22 "Nee," verseker Jesus hom, "nie tot sewe maal toe nie, maar tot 70 maal sewe toe!
23 "Om hierdie rede kan God se koningsheerskappy vergelyk word met 'n koning wat besluit het om na te gaan wat sy amptenare hom skuld.24 Skaars het die ondersoek begin of een word na hom toe gebring wat hom miljoene rande skuld.25 Toe hy dit nie kon bybring nie, gee die koning opdrag dat hy, sy vrou en sy kinders en al sy besittings verkoop moet word om sy skuld te betaal.26 Hy val toe voor die koning neer en smeek hom: 'Gee my kans, ek sal alles aan u terugbetaal.'

27 Daarop het die koning hom innig jammer gekry. Hy het hom laat gaan en sy skuld afgeskryf.
28 "Toe die amptenaar daarvandaan weggaan, loop hy egter een van sy medeamptenare raak wat hom net 'n paar rand geskuld het. Hy gryp hom toe aan die keel en sê: 'Betaal jou skuld!'29 Sy medeamptenaar val toe voor hom neer en smeek hom: 'Gee my kans, ek sal alles aan jou terugbetaal.'

30 Maar daarvan wou sy skuldeiser nie hoor nie. Hy is daar weg en het hom in die tronk laat gooi, waar hy sou moes bly totdat hy al sy skuld afbetaal het.
31 "Toe sy medeamptenare sien wat gebeur het, was hulle uitermate ontsteld. Hulle het alles wat gebeur het toe aan die koning gaan vertel.32 Daarop het die koning daardie man laat roep en vir hom gesê: 'Jou ellendige vent! Toe jy my gesoebat het, het ek vir jou al jou skuld afgeskryf.33 Moes jy jou nie ook oor jou medeamptenaar ontferm het soos ek my oor jou ontferm het nie?'

34 Woedend het die koning hom toe oorgegee aan die folteraars om elke sent uit hom te pers totdat hy al sy skuld betaal het.

35 "So sal my hemelse Vader ook met julle maak as julle weier om julle medegelowiges met julle hele hart te vergewe."

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.t

Allowing 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.