Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service

17 And he said to his disciples, “It is impossible for causes for stumbling not to come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if ⌊a millstone⌋a is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea than that he causes one of these little ones to sin.

3 “Be concerned about yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times he returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “And which of you who has a slave plowing or shepherding sheep* who comes in from the field will say to him, ‘Come here at once and* recline at the table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something that I may eat, and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink, and after these things you will eat and drink.’ 9 He will not ⌊be grateful⌋b to the slave because he did what was ordered, will he?* 10 Thus you also, when you have done all the ⌊things you were ordered to do⌋,c say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done what we were obligated to do.’ ”