109. Discourse With the Disciples in Capernaum

At that time the disciples, not having settled who was greatest, were gathering to approach the Lord and ask: Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? But the Lord anticipated them, and seeing the thoughts of their hearts, Himself asked them: What were you discussing along the way? They were silent; for that question illuminated their consciences, and they realized the impropriety of what they had been discussing along the way—who among them was greatest.

Then the Lord, sitting down, called the twelve and said to them: If anyone wishes to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all. Then, calling a child and placing him, He set him in the midst of them and, embracing him, said: Truly I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever receives Me receives not Me, but Him who sent Me. For whoever among you is least of all, he is great.

Then John said: Teacher! We saw a man casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.

The Lord Jesus said to him: Do not forbid him; for no one who does a miracle in My name is able soon after to speak evil of Me. Whoever is not against you is for you. And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, truly I tell you, he will not lose his reward.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea, thrown into the sea.

Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! For it is necessary that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes.

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into eternal life maimed without a hand, than with two hands to go into Gehenna and be cast into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into life lame without a foot, than with two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away: it is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God and into life with one eye, than with two eyes to be cast into the fiery Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. Salt is a good thing, but if salt should lose its saltiness, with what will you restore it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

See that you do not despise any of these little ones; for I tell you that their Angels in heaven always behold the face of My Father in heaven. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go out to seek the one that went astray? And if it comes to pass that he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

But if your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him between you and him alone; if he heeds you, you have won your brother.

But if he does not listen, take with you one or two others, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed.

But if he does not listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if he does not listen even to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Truly I tell you: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Truly also I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.

Then Peter came to Him and said: Lord! How many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? The Lord Jesus said to him: I do not say to you, up to seven, but up to seventy times seven.

For this reason the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And as he could not pay, the master commanded that he be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment be made. Then that servant fell down and, kneeling before him, said: Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. The master, moved with compassion toward that servant, released him and forgave him the debt.

But that servant, when he went out, found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying: Pay me what you owe. Then his fellow servant fell down at his feet and pleaded with him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. But he was unwilling, and went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt.

His fellow servants, seeing what had happened, were very distressed, and coming to their master, they reported to him all that had occurred. Then the master called him and said to him: You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Ought you not also to have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had compassion on you? And in anger, his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

So also will My heavenly Father do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his offenses.