1. About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
2. Jesus called a child over and made the child stand near him.
3. 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.
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 sea 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. 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 crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out.
9. 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.
10-11. Don't be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven.
12. Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and look for the one that had wandered away?
13. I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninety-nine 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.
15. If one of my followers 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. But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proved 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.
18. I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he 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, I am there with you.