Matthew 18:1-14

At the same time the disciples came and asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

And Jesus called a little child over to him, and set him in the midst of them. He then said, “Truly, I tell you, except you change and become like little children, you won’t enter the kingdom of heaven. Whomever will humble himself like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“And whomever receives even one such child in my name receives me. But anyone who causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would have been better for him to have had a millstone tied around his neck, and that he had been thrown into depths of the sea.

“Woe to the world because of things that cause people to sin. They must come, but woe to that man bringing them. Therefore, if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut them off and throw them away. It is better for you to live crippled or maimed, than to have two hands or two feet and to be cast into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you t live life with one eye, than to have two eyes to be cast into eternal fire.

“Be careful that you don’t disregard one of these little ones, for I tell you, that their angels in heaven can always come before my Father’s face, 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 100 sheep, and one of them wanders off, will he not leave the ninety-nine, go into the mountains, and look for the one that has strayed? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will be happier to find that sheep, than keeping the ninety-nine that stayed. Even so, it is not the will of your Father in heaven, that any one of these little ones perish.”

Mark 9:33-50

And he came home to Capernaum and asked them, “What was it that you were arguing about along the way?” But they wouldn’t say because they were arguing about where they would be ranked in the coming kingdom’s authority.

So he sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, “If any man desires to be first, he must be last of all—and servant of all.” And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them. And when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, “Whomever receives such a child in my name, receives me and whomever receives me, receives not just me, but him that sent me.”

And John questioned him, saying, “Rabbi, we saw one casting out demons in your name, but he isn’t part of our group. So, we stopped him because he doesn’t follow us.”

But Jesus said, “Don’t do that. No man who does a miracle in my name can easily speak evil of me. He that is not against us is for us. Whomever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name—because you belong to Christ—truly, I tell you, he shall not lose his reward. But whomever causes one of these little ones that believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have had a millstone tied around his neck, and for him to have been cast into the sea.

“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to live a life disfigured, than to have two hands and go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. There, their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to be lame in life than to have two feet and be cast into Gehenna into the unquenchable fire. There, their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into Gehenna’s fire where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.

“Everyone will be salted with fire, as every sacrifice is salted with salt. Salt is good, but if it has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with each other.

Luke 9:46-50

A contention rose among them as to which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, took a child, and set him with him. He said to them, “Whomever accepts this child in my name accepts me and whomever receives me receives him who sent me, for he that is least among you shall be great.”

And John questioned him and said, “Rabbi, we saw someone casting out demons in your name. So, we stopped him, because he is not part of our group.”

And Jesus said to him, “Don’t do that! He that is not against us is for us.”