Aliye Mkuu Katika Ufalme Wa Mbinguni
(Marko 9:33-37; Luka 9:46-48)
118:1 Mk 9:33; Lk 9:46; 22:24Wakati huo, wanafunzi wakamjia Yesu na kumuuliza, “Je, nani aliye mkuu kuliko wote katika Ufalme wa Mbinguni?”
2Yesu akamwita mtoto mdogo na kumsimamisha katikati yao. 318:3 Mt 19:14; 2Pet 2:2; Mt 3:2Naye akasema: “Amin, nawaambia, msipookoka na kuwa kama watoto wadogo, kamwe hamtaingia katika Ufalme wa Mbinguni. 418:4 Mk 9:35Kwa hiyo mtu yeyote anyenyekeaye kama huyu mtoto, ndiye aliye mkuu kuliko wote katika Ufalme wa Mbinguni.
518:5 Mt 10:40; Yn 13:20“Yeyote amkaribishaye mtoto mdogo kama huyu kwa Jina langu, anikaribisha mimi. 618:6 Mt 5:29; Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2Lakini kama mtu yeyote akimsababisha mmojawapo wa hawa wadogo wanaoniamini kutenda dhambi, ingekuwa bora kwake afungiwe jiwe kubwa la kusagia shingoni mwake, na kutoswa katika kilindi cha bahari.
Kujaribiwa Ili Kutenda Dhambi
(Marko 9:42-48; Luka 17:1-2)
718:7 Lk 17:1“Ole kwa ulimwengu kwa sababu ya yale mambo yanayosababisha watu kutenda dhambi! Mambo hayo lazima yawepo, lakini ole wake mtu yule ambaye huyasababisha. 818:8 Mt 5:28; Mk 9:43-45Ikiwa mkono wako au mguu wako unakusababisha utende dhambi, ukate na uutupe mbali. Ni afadhali kwako kuingia katika uzima ukiwa huna mkono mmoja au mguu mmoja, kuliko kuwa na mikono miwili au miguu miwili, na kutupwa katika moto wa milele. 918:9 Mt 5:22, 29Nalo jicho lako likikusababisha kutenda dhambi, lingʼoe, ulitupe mbali. Ni afadhali kwako kuingia katika uzima ukiwa na jicho moja, kuliko kuwa na macho mawili lakini ukatupwa katika moto wa jehanamu.
Mfano Wa Kondoo Aliyepotea
(Luka 15:3-7)
1018:10 Za 34:7; Ebr 1:14“Angalia ili usimdharau mmojawapo wa hawa wadogo, kwa maana nawaambia, malaika wao mbinguni daima wanauona uso wa Baba yangu aliye mbinguni. [ 1118:11 Lk 9:36; 19:10; Yn 1:17; 12:47Kwa maana Mwana wa Adamu alikuja kuokoa kile kilichopotea.]
1218:12 Lk 15:4“Mwaonaje? Ikiwa mtu ana kondoo mia moja, na mmoja wao akapotea, je, hatawaacha wale tisini na tisa vilimani na kwenda kumtafuta huyo mmoja aliyepotea? 1318:13 Lk 1:17Naye akishampata, amin, nawaambia, hufurahi zaidi kwa ajili ya huyo kondoo mmoja kuliko wale tisini na tisa ambao hawakupotea. 14Vivyo hivyo, Baba yenu wa mbinguni hapendi hata mmojawapo wa hawa wadogo apotee.
Ndugu Yako Akikukosea
1518:15 Law 19:17; Gal 6:1“Kama ndugu yako akikukosea, nenda ukamwonyeshe kosa lake, kati yenu ninyi wawili peke yenu. Kama akikusikiliza, utakuwa umempata tena ndugu yako. 1618:16 Kum 17:6; Ebr 10:28Lakini kama hatakusikiliza, nenda na mtu mwingine mmoja au wawili ili kila neno lithibitishwe kwa ushahidi wa mashahidi wawili au watatu. 1718:17 1Kor 6:1-6; Rum 16:17; 2The 3:6, 14Kama akikataa kuwasikiliza hao, liambie kanisa. Naye kama akikataa hata kulisikiliza kanisa, basi awe kwenu kama mtu asiyeamini au mtoza ushuru.
1818:18 Mt 16:18; Yn 20:23“Amin, nawaambia, lolote mtakalolifunga duniani litakuwa limefungwa mbinguni, na lolote mtakalolifungua duniani litakuwa limefunguliwa mbinguni.
1918:19 Mt 7:7“Tena nawaambia, ikiwa wawili wenu watakubaliana duniani kuhusu jambo lolote watakaloomba, watafanyiwa na Baba yangu aliye mbinguni. 2018:20 Mt 28:20; Yn 14:23Kwa kuwa wanapokusanyika pamoja watu wawili au watatu kwa Jina langu, mimi niko papo hapo pamoja nao.”
Kusamehe
2118:21 Mt 6:14; Lk 17:4Ndipo Petro akamjia Yesu na kumuuliza, “Bwana, ndugu yangu anikosee mara ngapi nami nimsamehe? Je, hata mara saba?”
2218:22 Mwa 4:24Yesu akamjibu, “Sikuambii hata mara saba, bali hata saba mara sabini.
Mfano Wa Mtumishi Asiyesamehe
2318:23 Mt 13:24; 25:19“Kwa hiyo Ufalme wa Mbinguni unaweza kufananishwa na mfalme aliyetaka kufanya hesabu zake za fedha na watumishi wake. 24Alipoanza kufanya hesabu zake, mtu mmoja aliyekuwa anadaiwa talanta18:24 Talanta moja ni sawa na mshahara wa kibarua wa miaka 15. 10,000, aliletwa kwake. 2518:25 Lk 7:42; 2Fal 4:1; Neh 5:5-8Kwa kuwa alikuwa hawezi kulipa deni hilo, bwana wake akaamuru kwamba auzwe, yeye, mkewe, watoto wake na vyote alivyokuwa navyo, ili lile deni lipate kulipwa.
2618:26 Mt 8:2“Yule mtumishi akampigia magoti, akamsihi yule bwana akisema, ‘Naomba univumilie, nami nitakulipa deni lako lote.’ 27Yule bwana wa huyo mtumishi akamwonea huruma, akafuta deni lake lote, akamwacha aende zake.
28“Lakini yule mtumishi alipokuwa anatoka nje, akakutana na mtumishi mwenzake aliyekuwa amemkopesha dinari18:28 Dinari moja ilikuwa kama mshahara wa kibarua wa siku moja. mia moja. Akamkamata, akamkaba koo akimwambia, ‘Nilipe kile ninachokudai!’
29“Yule mtumishi mwenzake akapiga magoti akamsihi akisema, ‘Naomba univumilie, nami nitakulipa deni lako lote.’
30“Lakini akakataa. Badala yake, alienda akamtupa gerezani hata atakapolipa hilo deni. 31Watumishi wenzake walipoona haya yaliyotukia wakaudhika sana, nao wakaenda na kumwambia bwana wao kila kitu kilichokuwa kimetukia.
32“Yule bwana akamwita yule mtumishi akamwambia, ‘Wewe mtumishi mwovu! Mimi nilikusamehe deni lako lote uliponisihi. 33Je, haikukupasa kumhurumia mtumishi mwenzako kama mimi nilivyokuhurumia wewe?’ 3418:34 Mt 5:26Kwa hasira, yule bwana wake akamtia yule mtumishi mikononi mwa askari wa gereza ili ateswe mpaka atakapolipa yote aliyokuwa anadaiwa.
3518:35 Mt 6:14; Yak 2:13“Hivi ndivyo Baba yangu wa mbinguni atakavyomfanyia kila mmoja wenu ikiwa hatamsamehe ndugu yake kutoka moyoni mwake.”
The greatest in the kingdom of heaven
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’
2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to stumble
6‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung round their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
The parable of the wandering sheep
10‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 1118:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.
12‘What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Dealing with sin in the church
15‘If your brother or sister18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35. sins,18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that “every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”18:16 Deut. 19:15 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18‘Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be18:18 Or will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be18:18 Or will have been loosed in heaven.
19‘Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’
The parable of the unmerciful servant
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’
22Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.18:22 Or seventy times seven
23‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day labourer’s wages. was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” 27The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
28‘But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day labourer (see 20:2). He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded.
29‘His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.”
30‘But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
