St Matthew Chapter XVIII : Verses 1-9
Contents
- Matt. xviii. 1-9. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xviii. 1-9
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| Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
In illa hora accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum, dicentes : Quis, putas, major est in regno cælorum?
2 And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them,
Et advocans Jesus parvulum, statuit eum in medio eorum,
3 And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
et dixit : Amen dico vobis, nisi conversi fueritis, et efficiamini sicut parvuli, non intrabitis in regnum cælorum.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.
Quicumque ergo humiliaverit se sicut parvulus iste, hic est major in regno cælorum.
5 And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.
Et qui susceperit unum parvulum talem in nomine meo, me suscipit :
6 But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.
qui autem scandalizaverit unum de pusillis istis, qui in me credunt, expedit ei ut suspendatur mola asinaria in collo ejus, et demergatur in profundum maris.
7 Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh.
Væ mundo a scandalis! Necesse est enim ut veniant scandala : verumtamen væ homini illi, per quem scandalum venit.
8 And if thy hand, or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.
Si autem manus tua, vel pes tuus scandalizat te, abscide eum, et projice abs te : bonum tibi est ad vitam ingredi debilem, vel claudum, quam duas manus vel duos pedes habentem mitti in ignem æternum.
9 And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Et si oculus tuus scandalizat te, erue eum, et projice abs te : bonum tibi est cum uno oculo in vitam intrare, quam duos oculos habentem mitti in gehennam ignis.
Notes
1. At that hour. This connects Christ’s teaching on humility with the incident of the stater. St Peter had evidently just returned from the lake, and had paid the collectors the tax due.
the disciples came to Jesus. Jesus instructed His disciples in a house, and thus He avoided compromising the reputation of His followers in the eyes of the people.
The true order of events is given by comparing the accounts of the three Evangelists, who complete each other’s narrative : —
(a) And there entered a thought into them, which of them should be greater (St Luke ix. 46).
(b) And they came to Capharnaum. And when they were in the house, he asked them, What did you treat of in the way? (St Mark ix. 32).
(c) At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven ? (St Matt, xviii. 1).
(d) Jesus sitting down and calling unto him a little child (St Matt.), whom when he had embraced (St Mark), he set him by him (St Luke). How blessed was that child whom Jesus called, embraced, and set by Him !
Who thinkest thou? Some MSS. read, “ Who thinkest thou then, ” etc.? thus connecting their question with our Lord’s rebuke : If any man desire to he first, he shall he the last of all (St Mark).
the greater. The comparative has here the force of the superlative, “ Who is the greatest ? ” Perhaps the preference shewn to St Peter, St James, and St John, and their silence as to what took place when our Lord led them apart, had aroused the jealousy of the other apostles. They again disputed about this matter at the Last Supper. The gospel shews us the apostles as they were, with all their failings.
2. a little child. According to an ancient tradition, this little child was St Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred for the faith in the first century.
set him in the midst. All the apostles were called to hear His reproof and to learn a lesson of humility. The subject of their conversation in the way illustrated how little they had understood Christ’s words concerning His Passion. Notice Jesus’ tender love for children. Thus on another occasion He called them to Him that He might bless them.
3. be converted, — i.e. unless they changed their false opinions concerning true greatness and adopted those inculcated by Christ.
become as little children. By the virtues of humility, simplicity, and docility. Cf. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
you shall not enter, etc. The Greek gives the negative very strongly, “ ye shall in no wise enter ” (οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε) ; still less would they have the first places in the kingdom of God.
4. Whosoever therefore shall humble, etc. This is a definite answer to the apostles’ question ; and St Mark gives the same thought in other words : If any man desire to be first, he shall be the last of all, and the minister of all (ix. 34). True humility leads to sanctity, which determines our rank to heaven. The Christian should be desirous to serve, rather than to be served ; to obey, rather than to rule.
5. he that shall receive. Hence we see what a glorious work it is to train children for God’s sake, as unto Him. By so doing we receive our Lord Himself.
in my name. Not from mere natural motives, but because these little ones belong to Christ and are dear to Him. Cf. For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ : Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward (St Mark ix. 40).
Note. — St Matthew omits the incident of the disciples rebuking the man who cast out devils in the name of Christ, which both the second and third gospels give in this context.
6. shall scandalize, — i.e. shall lead another to commit sin, either directly or indirectly.
one of these little ones. The meaning is not restricted to a child. Our Lord’s thought here embraces all who are weak and lowly in this world, — i.e. those who are spiritually infirm, those who hold a low place in the world’s estimation.
that believe in me. This bears out our Lord’s doctrine that He considers a good work done to “ one of these little ones ” for His sake as done unto Himself ; so He resents and avenges, as a personal affront, any injury done to the lowest of His followers.
were better for him, etc. Lit. “ it is profitable ” (συμφέρει), because the spiritual evil of scandal is greater than the temporal punishment of drowning.
a millstone. (μύλος ὀνικὸς), — i.e. a millstone which it would take an ass to move.
“ You observe that two women sit at the mill facing each other ; both have hold of the handle by which the upper is turned round on the ‘ nether ’ millstone. The one whose right hand is disengaged throws in the grain as occasion requires through the hole in the upper stone, which is called the rekkab (rider), in Arabic, as it was long ago in Hebrew. Both retain their hold, and pull to, or push from, as men do with the whip or cross-cut saw” (The Land and the Book, Thomson). For domestic purposes corn was often ground by women in a hand mill. Our Lord refers to one of these mills when He says, Two women shall be grinding at the mill ; one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
be hanged about his neck. Christ here teaches that death is to be chosen when scandal is the only other alternative. This method of killing a man was not a Jewish punishment, but it was in common use by the Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Phœnicians. In Turkey it is still practised.
7. Wo to the world, etc. In the first “ wo ” Jesus speaks more pityingly, for so many are, through ignorance, led astray by evildoers. The second “ wo ” is directed against the one who causes the scandal. He is threatened with the judgments of God, in order to deter him from this awful sin.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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