Who Is the Greatest?
(Mark 9.33-37Luke 9.46-48)1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
2 So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them, 3 and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. 4 The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. 5 And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me.
Temptations to Sin
(Mark 9.42-48Luke 17.1Luke 2)6 “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. 7 How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen—but how terrible for the one who causes them!
8 “If your hand or your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life without a hand or a foot than to keep both hands and both feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
(Luke 15.3-7)10 “See that you don't despise any of these little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my Father in heaven.
12 “What do you think a man does who has one hundred sheep and one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go and look for the lost sheep. 13 When he finds it, I tell you, he feels far happier over this one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. 14 In just the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.
When Someone Sins
15 “If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. 16 But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that ‘every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,’ as the scripture says. 17 And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.
Prohibiting and Permitting
18 “And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
19 “And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven, 23 because the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants' accounts. 24 He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt. 26 The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’ 27 The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.
28 “Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said. 29 His fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!’ 30 But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. 32 So he called the servant in. ‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to. 33 You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.’ 34 The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he should pay back the whole amount.”
35 And Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Lielākais Debesu valstībā
(Mk 9:33–37Lk 9:46–48)1 Tajā pašā laikā mācekļi gāja pie Jēzus un vaicāja: “Kas tad ir lielākais Debesu valstībā?” 2 Jēzus, pieaicinājis kādu bērniņu un nostādījis to viņu vidū, 3 sacīja: “Es jums saku: patiesi, ja jūs nemaināties un netopat kā bērniņi, jūs neieiesiet Debesu valstībā. 4 Tad nu ikviens, kas pats top pazemīgs kā šis bērniņš, ir lielākais Debesu valstībā. 5 Un, kas uzņem vienu šādu bērniņu manā vārdā, tas uzņem mani.
Jēzus brīdina no apgrēcināšanas
(Mk 9:42–48Lk 17:1–2)6 Kas apgrēcina vienu no šiem mazākajiem, kas tic uz mani, tam būtu labāk, ja tam uzkārtu dzirnakmeni kaklā un to noslīcinātu jūras dziļumā. 7 Vai! pasaulei, kad nāk apgrēcība! Apgrēcībai gan ir jānāk, bet vai! tam cilvēkam, caur kuru nāk apgrēcība! 8 Un, ja tava roka vai kāja tevi apgrēcina, nocērt to un aizmet projām! Labāk tev tizlam un kroplam ieiet dzīvībā, nekā ja tev ir abas rokas un kājas un tu tiec iemests mūžīgā ugunī. 9 Ja tava acs tevi apgrēcina, izrauj to un aizmet projām. Labāk tev vienacainam ieiet dzīvībā, nekā ja tev ir abas acis un tu tiec iemests elles ugunīs.
Līdzība par pazudušo avi
(Lk 15:3–7)10 Pielūkojiet, ka jūs nevienu no šiem mazākajiem nenonicināt, jo es jums saku: viņu eņģeļi debesīs vienmēr redz mana debesu Tēva vaigu. 12 Kā jūs domājat? Ja kādam cilvēkam pieder simts avju un viena no tām nomaldās, vai tad viņš neatstās pārējās deviņdesmit deviņas kalnos un nedosies meklēt to nomaldījušos? 13 Un, ja viņam gadās to atrast, es jums saku: patiesi viņš priecājas par to vairāk nekā par tām deviņdesmit deviņām, kas nebija nomaldījušās. 14 Tāpat tas nav pēc jūsu debesu Tēva prāta, ka iet bojā viens no šiem mazākajiem.
Ja brālis grēko
(Lk 17:3)15 Ja tavs brālis pret tevi grēko, tad ej un uzrādi viņa vainu, kad esat divatā; ja viņš tevi klausa, tu savu brāli esi atguvis. 16 Ja viņš tevi neklausa, tad ņem līdzi vēl vienu vai divus, lai no divu vai trīs liecinieku mutes katrs vārds tiek apstiprināts . 17 Ja viņš tos neklausa, tad saki to draudzei; un, ja viņš neklausa draudzi, tad uzskati viņu par pagānu vai muitnieku. 18 Es jums saku: patiesi, ko vien jūs virs zemes siesiet, tas būs siets arī debesīs; un, ko vien jūs virs zemes atraisīsiet, tas būs atraisīts arī debesīs. 19 Un vēl es jums saku: ja divi no jums virs zemes vienprātīgi kaut ko lūgs, tad mans debesu Tēvs viņiem to piešķirs. 20 Jo, kur divi vai trīs ir sapulcējušies manā vārdā, tur arī es esmu viņu vidū.”
Līdzība par nelietīgo kalpu
21 Tad Pēteris piegāja viņam klāt un jautāja: “Cik reižu man jāpiedod savam brālim, kas grēko pret mani? Vai pietiek līdz septiņām reizēm?” 22 Jēzus viņam atbildēja: “Es tev nesaku: līdz septiņām reizēm, bet gan: līdz septiņdesmit reiz septiņām. 23 Tādēļ Debesu valstība ir salīdzināma ar ķēniņu, kas nolēma prasīt norēķinu saviem kalpiem. 24 Kad viņš sāka to darīt, viņam pieveda kādu, kas viņam bija parādā desmit tūkstošus talantu. 25 Un, tā kā viņš nespēja samaksāt, viņa kungs pavēlēja pārdot gan viņu pašu, gan viņa sievu un bērnus, gan visu, kas tam bija, un parādu samaksāt. 26 Tad kalps krita pie zemes un lūdzās: pagaidi uz mani, es visu samaksāšu. 27 Kungs iežēlojās par šo kalpu un atlaida tam aizdevumu. 28 Šis kalps, izgājis ārā, ieraudzīja kādu savu biedru, kas viņam bija parādā simts denāriju. Viņš to satvēris žņaudza un sacīja: atdod, ko esi parādā! 29 Tad viņa biedrs krita pie zemes un lūdzās: pagaidi uz mani, es visu samaksāšu. 30 Taču viņš negribēja gaidīt un aizgājis to ielika cietumā, līdz tas parādu būs samaksājis. 31 Citi kalpi, viņa biedri, to redzēdami, ļoti noskuma; tie gāja un visu notikušo atstāstīja kungam. 32 Tad kungs viņu pasauca un sacīja: tu nelietīgais kalps, visu tavu parādu es tev atlaidu, kad tu lūdzi. 33 Vai tev tāpat nevajadzēja apžēloties par savu biedru, kā es par tevi apžēlojos? 34 Un kungs saniknojies nodeva to spīdzinātājiem, līdz tas būs samaksājis visu parādu. 35 Tā arī mans debesu Tēvs jums darīs, ja jūs ikviens savam brālim no sirds nepiedosiet.”
