Year of the Bible
Matthew 18
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Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 18:
In the eighteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, two practical teachings—one about the proper steps to correct a person who’s in sin, and the other about the power of forgiving those who’ve sinned against us—demonstrate that human relationships are tied to relationship with God When a person is known to be involved in serious sin, Christians have an obligation to lovingly correct the person. Matthew identifies the three phases of correction—one-on-one; accompanied by two or three witnesses; and before the Church. In order for a person to more easily repent, the first confrontation should be in private. This is how most people guilty of serious or embarrassing sin would wish to be approached. If the person doesn’t listen, involve one or two witnesses. Often the witness of more than one is enough to convince a person that his or her sin is serious and needs to be dealt with. If, however, the person refuses to repent, then formal judicial correction by the Church is the final remedial step. Excommunication represents formally “drawing a line in the sand” and demonstrates that the individual’s belief and actions have, in fact, placed him or her outside of the teaching of the Church.
Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 18:
True Greatness
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Temptations to Sin
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Binding and Loosing of Sins
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if he refuses to listen even to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Repeated Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me; 33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Daily Lectio Divina Question:
“So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35). Lord, you who would leave the 99 and go in search of the one who was lost, who do I need to forgive and from who do I need to ask forgiveness?
Bible Commentary provided by Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, Gospel of Matthew, ed. Jennifer Phelps, Catholic Scripture Study (Charlotte, NC: Catholic Scripture Study International, 2007), 167.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Mateo 18
1 En aquella ocasión se acercaron
los discípulos a Jesús y le preguntaron:
–¿Quién piensas que es el mayor en
el Reino de los Cielos?
2 Entonces llamó a un niño, lo puso
en medio de ellos 3 y dijo:
–En verdad os digo: si no os convertís
y os hacéis como los niños, no entraréis
en el Reino de los Cielos. 4 Pues todo
el que se humille como este niño, ése es
el mayor en el Reino de los Cielos; 5 y el
que reciba a un niño como éste en mi
nombre, a mí me recibe. 6 Pero al que escandalice
a uno de estos pequeños que
creen en mí, más le valdría que le colgasen
al cuello una piedra de molino,
de las que mueve un asno, y lo hundieran
en el fondo del mar. 7 ¡Ay del mundo
por los escándalos! Es inevitable que
vengan los escándalos. Sin embargo, ¡ay
del hombre por cuya culpa se produce
el escándalo! 8 Si tu mano o tu pie te escandaliza,
córtatelo y arrójalo lejos de ti.
Más te vale entrar en la Vida manco o
cojo, que con las dos manos o los dos
pies ser arrojado al fuego eterno. 9 Y si
tu ojo te escandaliza, arráncatelo y tíralo
lejos de ti. Más te vale entrar tuerto en la
Vida, que con los dos ojos ser arrojado
al fuego del infierno.
10 Guardaos de despreciar a uno de
estos pequeños, porque os digo que sus
ángeles en los cielos están viendo siempre
el rostro de mi Padre que está en los
cielos. (11 )
12 ¿Qué os parece? Si a un hombre
que tiene cien ovejas se le pierde una de
ellas, ¿no dejará las noventa y nueve en
el monte y saldrá a buscar la que se le
había perdido? 13 Y si llega a encontrarla,
os aseguro que se alegrará más por ella
que por las noventa y nueve que no se
habían perdido. 14 Del mismo modo, no
es voluntad de vuestro Padre que está en
los cielos que se pierda ni uno solo de
estos pequeños.
15 Si tu hermano peca contra ti, vete
y corrígele a solas tú con él. Si te escucha,
habrás ganado a tu hermano. 16 Si
no escucha, toma entonces contigo a uno
o dos, para que cualquier asunto quede firme
por la palabra de dos o tres testigos. 17 Pero si
no quiere escucharlos, díselo a la Iglesia. Si
tampoco quiere escuchar a la Iglesia, tenlo
por pagano y publicano.
18 Os aseguro que todo lo que atéis
en la tierra quedará atado en el cielo, y
todo lo que desatéis en la tierra quedará
desatado en el cielo.
19 Os aseguro también que si dos
de vosotros se ponen de acuerdo en la
tierra sobre cualquier cosa que quieran
pedir, mi Padre que está en los cielos se
lo concederá. 20 Pues donde hay dos o
tres reunidos en mi nombre, allí estoy
yo en medio de ellos.
21 Entonces, se acercó Pedro a preguntarle:
–Señor, ¿cuántas veces tengo que
perdonar a mi hermano cuando peque
contra mí? ¿Hasta siete?
22 Jesús le respondió:
–No te digo que hasta siete veces,
sino hasta setenta veces siete. 23 Por eso
el Reino de los Cielos viene a ser como
un rey que quiso arreglar cuentas con
sus siervos. 24 Puesto a hacer cuentas, le
presentaron uno que le debía diez mil
talentos. 25 Como no podía pagar, el señor
mandó que fuese vendido él con su
mujer y sus hijos y todo lo que tenía, y
que así pagase. 26 Entonces el siervo se
echó a sus pies y le suplicaba: Ten paciencia
conmigo y te pagaré todo. 27 El
señor, compadecido de aquel siervo, lo
mandó soltar y le perdonó la deuda.
28 Al salir aquel siervo, encontró a uno
de sus compañeros que le debía cien
denarios y, agarrándole, lo ahogaba y
le decía: Págame lo que me debes.
29 Su compañero, se echó a sus pies y
se puso a rogarle: Ten paciencia conmigo
y te pagaré. 30 Pero él no quiso,
sino que fue y lo hizo meter en la cárcel,
hasta que pagase la deuda. 31 Al ver
sus compañeros lo ocurrido, se disgustaron
mucho y fueron a contar a su señor
lo que había pasado. 32 Entonces su
señor lo mandó llamar y le dijo: Siervo
malvado, yo te he perdonado toda
la deuda porque me lo has suplicado.
33 ¿No debías tú también tener compasión
de tu compañero, como yo la he
tenido de ti? 34 Y su señor, irritado, lo
entregó a los verdugos, hasta que pagase
toda la deuda. 35 Del mismo modo
hará con vosotros mi Padre celestial, si
cada uno no perdona de corazón a su
hermano.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina para el día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).