²²While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,

³⁰They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it.

²²While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men, ²³and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.”

They were exceedingly sorry.

³¹For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”

³²But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

⁴³They were all astonished at the majesty of God.

But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴“Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

²⁴When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins[1] came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?” ²⁵He said, “Yes.”

When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”

²⁶Peter said to him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him, “Therefore the children are exempt. ²⁷But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin.[2] Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”

[1]17:24 A didrachma is a Greek silver coin worth 2 drachmas, about as much as 2 Roman denarii, or about 2 days’ wages. It was commonly used to pay the half-shekel temple tax, because 2 drachmas were worth one half shekel of silver.

[2]17:27 A stater is a silver coin equivalent to four Attic or two Alexandrian drachmas, or a Jewish shekel: just exactly enough to cover the half-shekel temple tax for two people.

³³He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

¹In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

²Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the midst of them, ³and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁵Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,

³³He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

³⁴But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.

³⁵He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” ³⁶He took a little child, and set him in the midst of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷“Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.” ^c

⁴⁶There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, ⁴⁸and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”

³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

³⁹But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is on our side. ⁴¹For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, ^d most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

⁴⁹John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow with us.”

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”

⁶but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.

⁷“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes! ⁸If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. ⁹If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna[1] of fire. ^{e 10}See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. ¹¹For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.

¹²“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? ^{f 13}If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. ¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

[1]18:9 or, Hell

⁴²Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck. ⁴³If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna,[1] into the unquenchable fire, ⁴⁴‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ ⁴⁵If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna,[2] into the fire that will never be quenched— ^{e 46}‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ ⁴⁷If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna[3] of fire, ⁴⁸‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’[4] ⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. ⁵⁰Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” ^g

[1]9:43 or, Hell

[2]9:45 or, Hell

[3]9:47 or, Hell

[4]9:48 Isaiah 66:24

¹⁵“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. ¹⁶But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.[1] ¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. ^h If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. ¹⁸Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven. ^{i 19}Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”

[1]18:16 Deuteronomy 19:15

²¹Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

²²Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven. ²³Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. ²⁴When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[1] ²⁵But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ ²⁷The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸“But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii,[2] and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

²⁹“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ ³⁰He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. ³¹So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. ³²Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. ³³Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

[1]18:24 Ten thousand talents represents an extremely large sum of money, equivalent to about 60,000,000 denarii, where one denarius was typical of one day’s wages for agricultural labor.

[2]18:28 100 denarii was about one sixtieth of a talent.

a) See Nos. 35, 116, 205, 245. 254.

b) We shall not see Matthew, Mark, and Luke together in a threefold account until the blessing of the little children in Perea, six months later. No. 201.

c) Compare Matt. 10:40; No. 93, 7. John 13:20; No. 250.

d) Notice that Jesus here calls Himself Christ. See John 17:3. No. 258.

e) The matter is so serious that the Lord reposts some of the sayings of the Sermon on the Mount. Matt. 5:29, 30. See No. 72, 6. Compare also No. 184.

f) Compare Luke 15:4-7. See. No. 177.

g) A repetition of Matt. 5:13. See No. 72, 3.

h) The New Testament Christian Church had not yet been established. While using the term in the sense of a Jewish community, Jesus looks forward to the time of the establishment of local Christian congregations.

i) Compare Matt. 16:19; No. 115. John 20:23 ; No. 300.

Bible References taken from:
The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible, based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.