In one sweep of teaching at Capernaum, Jesus answers the disciples’ jostling for greatness by setting a child in their midst, warns in the gravest terms against offending “these little ones,” tells the parable of the lost sheep, gives the order for reproving a brother and the promise to two or three gathered in his name, and — when Peter asks how often to forgive — answers “seventy times seven,” then the parable of the unforgiving servant. The Joseph Smith Translation greatly expands Mark’s sayings on offenses and restores to Matthew the reason the Son of Man came: “to save that which was lost… and I will save them.”
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The reading is the Covenant Christian Edition — the Joseph Smith Translation reading — carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
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At Capernaum the collectors of the temple tax come to Peter. Jesus, knowing the kings of the earth tax strangers and not their own children, is free — yet rather than give offense he sends Peter to find the coin in the fish’s mouth, and pays for them both.
24And when they had come to Capernaum, they that received tribute came to Peter and said, Does not your master pay tribute? 25He said, Yes. And when he had come into the house, Jesus rebuked him, saying, What do you think, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children or of strangers? 26Peter said unto him, Of strangers. Jesus said unto him, Then are the children free. 27Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first comes up. And when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for me and you.
The disciples have been disputing on the road who is the greatest. Jesus sets a child in their midst and overturns the question: unless you turn and become as little children you cannot even enter the kingdom, and whoever receives one such child in his name receives him.
1At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? 2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the middle of them, 3and said, Truly I say unto you, except you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. 4Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. 5And whoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receives me.
33And he came to Capernaum. And being in the house, he asked them, Why was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way? 34But they held their peace, being afraid, for by the way they had disputed among themselves who was the greatest among them. 35Now Jesus sat down and called the twelve and said unto them, If any man desire to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. 36And he took a child and sat in the middle of them. And when he had taken the child in his arms, he said unto them, 37Whoever shall humble himself like one of these children, and receives me, you shall receive in my name. And whoever shall receive me, receives not me only, but him that sent me, even the Father.
46Then there arose a reasoning among them: who of them should be greatest. 47And Jesus, perceiving the thoughts of their hearts, took a child and set him in the midst. 48And said unto them, Whoever shall receive this child in my name, receives me. And whoever shall receive me, receives him that sent me. For he who is least among you all, the same shall be great.
John reports that they stopped a man casting out devils in Jesus’ name because he was not of their company. Jesus forbids them: no one who works a miracle in his name will lightly speak evil of him — whoever is not against us is for us, and even a cup of water given for his sake keeps its reward.
38And John spoke unto him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and he followed not us, and we forbade him because he follows not us. 39But Jesus said, Forbid him not, for there is no man who shall do a miracle in my name that can speak evil of me; 40for he that is not against us is on our part.
41And whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
49And John spoke and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and we forbade him because he follows not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid not any, for he that is not against us is for us.
Then the warning turns grave. Better a millstone and the sea than to offend one of the little ones who believe. Better to lose a hand, a foot, an eye than to be cast whole into the unquenchable fire — and the Joseph Smith Translation reads those members as a brother, a standard, an appointed watchman, so that the cutting-off is the loss of one’s own. For everyone shall be salted with fire.
6But whoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and he was drowned in the depth of the sea.
7Woe unto the world because of offenses, for it must be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. 8Wherefore, if your hand or your foot offend you, cut it off and cast it from yourself, for it is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into Everlasting fire. 9And if your eye offend you, pluck it out and cast it from yourself. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire. And a man’s hand is his friend, and his foot also. And a man’s eye are they of his own household.
42And whoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
43Therefore, if your hand offend you, cut it off. Or if your brother offend you, and confess not and forsake not, he shall be cut off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell. For it is better for you to enter into life without your brother than for you and your brother to be cast into hell — into the fire that never shall be quenched, 44where their worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.
45And again, if your foot offend you, cut it off. For he that is your standard by whom you walk, if he become a transgressor, he shall be cut off. It is better for you to enter lame into life than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Therefore, let every man stand or fall by himself, and not for another, or not trusting another.
46Seek unto my Father, and it shall be done in that very moment what you shall ask, if you ask in faith, believing that you shall receive. 47And if your eye which sees for you — him who is appointed to watch over you to show you light — becomes a transgressor and offends you, pluck him out. It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire; for it is better that you should be saved than to be cast into hell with your brother, 48where their worm dies not and where the fire is not quenched.
49For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50But the salt must be good; for if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it (the sacrifice)? Therefore, it must be that you have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Despise not the little ones, whose angels behold the Father’s face; for the Son of Man came to save the lost — and a shepherd will leave the ninety-nine to seek the one that strayed. And if a brother trespasses, go and win him privately first; what is bound or loosed by such agreement is ratified in heaven, for where two or three gather in his name he is among them.
10Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in Heaven. 11For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost and to call sinners to repentance, but those little ones have no need of repentance, and I will save them. 12What do you think? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine, and go into the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray? 13And if it so be that he find it, truly I say unto you, he rejoices more over that which was lost than over the ninety-nine which went not astray. 14Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15Moreover, if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he shall hear you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto you as a heathen man and a publican.
18Truly I say unto you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you shall set loose on earth shall be set loose in Heaven. 19Again, I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, that they may not ask amiss, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in Heaven; 20for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Peter asks whether seven times is enough to forgive; Jesus answers seventy times seven, and tells of a servant forgiven an unpayable debt who then jails a fellow servant over a trifle. The measure of mercy we are shown is the measure we are bound to extend.
21Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? 22Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, until seven times, but, until seventy times seven. 23Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king who would take account of his servants; 24and when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had nothing to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26And the servant implored him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and released him, and forgave him the debt. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him.
28But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pence. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe. 29And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and implored him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. 30And he would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt.
31So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you desired me to. 33Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? 34And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.
Peter asks how often he must forgive, and Jesus answers “seventy times seven.” Joseph Smith pressed the same measure on the Relief Society, turning it from a number into a disposition of mercy toward fellow mortals who have fallen.
Discourse to the Female Relief Society, 26 May 1842, Nauvoo · recorded by Eliza R. Snow, Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; DHC 5:19–21) · Joseph Smith Papers ↗With deep feeling he said that they are fellow mortals, we loved them once, shall we not encourage them to reformation? We have not yet forgiven them seventy times seven, as our Savior directed; perhaps we have not forgiven them once.
There is now a day of salvation to such as repent and reform; and they who repent not should be cast out from this society; yet we should woo them to return to God, lest they escape not the damnation of hell! Where there is a mountain top, there is also a valley — we should act in all things on a proper medium to every immortal spirit.
Jesus’ gravest warning falls on whoever offends “one of these little ones.” Writing from Liberty Jail to a persecuted people, Joseph Smith set the same millstone beside the promise of reward for the cup of cold water given to the least of the saints.
Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, written from Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri, 20 March 1839 · Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 134–135 · Joseph Smith Papers ↗But remember, brethren, he that offends one of the least of the Saints, would be better off with a millstone tied to his neck, and he and the stone plunged into the depth of the sea!
Remember that he that gives a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, to one of the saints in prison, or secluded from friends by reason of vexatious law suits intended for persecution, shall in no wise lose his reward.
Nibley gathered Brigham Young’s teaching on this very saying — that the seventy-times-seven of forgiveness is not a ceiling to reach but a daily temper of compassion, refusing to throw away any soul.
“I endeavor to look upon [mankind] as an angel would, having compassion, long-suffering, and forbearance towards them. How many times can I forgive a brother?… I think I could forgive a brother seventy times seven in one day.”
“Forgive them, not only seven times, but seventy times seven in a day, if their hearts are fully set to do right. Let us make it a point to pass over their weaknesses and say, ‘God bless you in trying to be better in time to come,’ and act as wise stewards in the kingdom of God… Do not throw away a man or a woman, old or young.”
The quoted words are Brigham Young’s, as Nibley presents and frames them; bracketed insertions are Nibley’s.