Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of Matthew chapter 18 and the Gospel of Luke
chapters 17 and 18. From the Gospel of Matthew
chapter 18. At that time the disciples came to
Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom
of heaven? Then Jesus called a little child to
him, set him in the midst of them, and said,
Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted
and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,
whoever humbles himself as this little child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
receives one little child like this in my name
receives me. But whoever causes one of these
little ones who believe in me to sin, it would
be better for him if a millstone were hung around
his neck and he were drowned in the depth of
the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses,
for offenses must come, but woe to that man by
whom the offense comes. If your hand or foot
causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from
you. It is better for you to enter into life
lame or maimed rather than having two hands or
two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire.
And if your eye causes you to sin, 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 hell fire. Take heed
that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that in heaven their angels
always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
For the Son of Man has come to save that which
was 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 and go to the mountains
to seek the one that is straying? And if he should
find it, assuredly I say to you, he rejoices
more over that sheep than over the ninety -nine
that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the
will of your Father who is in heaven that one
of these little ones should perish. Moreover,
if your brother sins against you, go and tell
him his fault between you and him alone. If he
hears you, you have gained your brother. But
if he will not hear, take with you one or two
more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established. And if he refuses
to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he
refuses even to hear the church, let him be to
you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly,
I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I say
to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning
anything that they ask, it will be done for them
by my Father in heaven. For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, I am there
in the midst of them. Then Peter came to him
and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times.
Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to
seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore
the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king
who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
And when he had begun to settle accounts, one
was brought to him who owed him ten thousand
talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master
commanded that he be sold with his wife and children
and all that he had, and that payment be made.
The servant therefore fell down before him, saying,
Master, have patience with me, and I will pay
you all. Then the master of that servant was
moved with compassion, released him, and forgave
him the debt. But that servant went out and found
one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred
denarii. And he laid hands on him and took him
by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe. So
his fellow servant fell down at his feet and
begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and
I will pay you all. And he would not, but went
and threw him into prison till he should pay
the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what
had been done, they were very grieved and came
and told their master all that had been done.
Then his master, after he had called him, said
to him, You wicked servant, I forgave you all
that debt because you begged me. Should you not
also have had compassion on your fellow servant,
just as I had pity on you? And his master was
angry and delivered him to the torturers until
he should pay all that was due to him. So my
heavenly Father also will do to you if each of
you from his heart does not forgive his brother
his trespasses. Then he said to the disciples,
It is impossible that no offenses should come,
but woe to him through whom they do come. it
would be better for him if a millstone were hung
around his neck and he were thrown into the sea
than that he should offend one of these little
ones take heed to yourselves if your brother
sins against you rebuke him and if he repents
forgive him and if he sins against you seven
times in a day and seven times in a day returns
to you saying i repent you shall forgive him
And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our
faith. So the Lord said, If you have faith as
a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry
tree, Be pulled up by the roots and be planted
in the sea, and it would obey you. And which
of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep,
will say to him when he has come in from the
field, Come at once and sit down to eat? But
will he not rather say to him, Prepare something
for my supper, and gird yourself, and serve me
till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you
will eat and drink? Does he thank the servant
because he did the things that were commanded
him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have
done all those things which you are commanded,
say, We are unprofitable servants. We have done
what was our duty to do. Now it happened as he
went to Jerusalem that he passed through the
midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then he entered
a certain village. There met him ten men who
were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted
up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have
mercy on us. So when he saw them, he said to
them, Go show yourselves to the priests. And
so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed,
returned and with a loud voice glorified God
and fell down on his face at his feet, giving
him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus
answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed?
But where are the nine? Were there not any found
who returned to give glory to God except this
foreigner? And he said to him, Arise, go your
way, your faith has made you well. Now when he
was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of
God would come, he answered them and said, The
kingdom of God does not come with observation,
nor will they say, See here or see there. for
indeed the kingdom of God is within you. Then
he said to the disciples, The days will come
when you will desire to see one of the days of
the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And
they will say to you, Look here or look there.
Do not go after them or follow them. For as the
lightning that flashes out of one part under
heaven shines to the other part under heaven,
so also the Son of Man will be in his day. But
first he must suffer many things. and be rejected
by this generation. And as it was in the days
of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the
Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they married
wives, they were given in marriage until the
day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood
came and destroyed them all. Likewise, as it
was also in the days of Lot, they ate, they drank,
they bought, they sold, they planted, they built.
But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, It
rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed
them all. Even so will it be in the day when
the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who
is on the housetop and his goods are in the house,
let him not come down to take them away. And
likewise, the one who is in the field, let him
not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks
to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses
his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that
night there will be two men in one bed. The one
will be taken, and the other will be left. Two
women will be grinding together. The one will
be taken, and the other left. Two men will be
in the field. The one will be taken, and the
other left. And he answered and said to him,
Where, Lord? So he said to them, Wherever the
body is. There the eagles will be gathered together.
Chapter 18 Then he spoke a parable to them, that
men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
saying, There was in a certain city a judge who
did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was
a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying,
Get justice for me from my adversary. And he
would not for a while. But afterward he said
within himself, though i do not fear god nor
regard man yet because this widow troubles me
i will avenge her lest by her continual coming
she weary me then the lord said hear what the
unjust judge said and shall god not avenge his
own elect who cry out day and night to him though
he bears long with them i tell you that he will
avenge them speedily nevertheless when the son
of man comes will he really find faith on earth
Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted
in themselves that they were righteous and despised
others. Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank you that I am not like other men,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give
tithe of all that I possess. And a tax collector
standing afar off would not so much as raise
his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified, rather
than the other. For everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will
be exalted. Then they also brought infants to
him that he might touch them. But when the disciples
saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them
to him and said, Let the little children come
to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is
the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever
does not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child will by no means enter it. Now a certain
ruler asked him, saying, Good teacher, what shall
I do to inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to
him, Why do you call me good? No one is good
but one, that is God. You know the commandments.
Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not
steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your
father and your mother. And he said, All these
things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus
heard these things, he said to him, You still
lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
And come, follow me. But when he heard this,
he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful,
he said, How hard it is for those who have riches
to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
And those who heard it said, Who then can be
saved? But he said, The things which are impossible
with men are possible with God. Then Peter said,
See, we have left all and followed you. So he
said to them, Assuredly I say to you, there is
no one who has left house or parents or brothers
or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom
of God, who shall not receive many times in this
present time and in the age to come eternal life.
Then he took the twelve aside and said to them,
Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. and all
things that are written by the prophets concerning
the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will
be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked
and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge
him and kill him, and the third day he will rise
again. But they understood none of these things.
This saying was hidden from them, and they did
not know the things which were spoken. Then it
happened, as he was coming near Jericho, that
a certain blind man sat by the road begging,
and hearing a multitude passing by, he asked
what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of
Nazareth was passing by, and he cried out, saying,
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Then those
who went before warned him that he should be
quiet, but he cried out all the more, Son of
David, have mercy on me. So Jesus stood still
and commanded him to be brought to him. And when
he had come near, he asked him, saying, What
do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord,
that I may receive my sight. Then Jesus said
to him, Receive your sight. Your faith has made
you well. And immediately he received his sight
and followed him, glorifying God. And all the
people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as
I did and I look forward to seeing you again
tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless
you and have a great day.