Matthew 18:1–11

Rank in the Kingdom

^1aAt that ¹time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “^bWho then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

²And He called a child to Himself and set him ¹before them,

³and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you ¹are converted and ^abecome like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

⁴“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

⁵“And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;

⁶but ^awhoever ^bcauses one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it ¹would be better for him to have a ²heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

⁷“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For ^ait is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

⁸“^aIf your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than ¹to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.

⁹“^aIf your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than ¹to have two eyes and be cast into the ^2bfiery hell.

¹⁰“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that ^atheir angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

¹¹“^1aFor the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.