(Verses 10, 11.) 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 who is in heaven. The Son of Man came to save what was lost. Above, he had said that all close relationships and connections that could cause scandal should be cut off by hand, foot, or eye. Therefore, he tempers the severity of the sentence with a subordinate command, saying: See that you do not despise one of these little ones. Thus, he said, I command severity, so that I may teach the mixing of mercy. As much as is in you, do not despise, but seek the health even of those. But if you see them persevering in sins, and serving vices, it is better for you to be saved alone than to perish with many. For their angels in heaven always see the face of the Father. Great is the dignity of souls, so that each one has been assigned a guardian angel from birth to watch over them. Where do we read in the Apocalypse of John: 'To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write...' (Rev. 2:1). The apostle also commands women to cover their heads in the churches, because of the angels (1 Cor. 11).
18:12-13
(Vers. 12, 13.) What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and goeth to seek that which is gone astray? And if it so be that he findeth it: Amen I say to you, he rejoiceth more for that than for the ninety and nine that went not astray. In conclusion he calls to clemency one who had despatched him, saying: See that you do not despise one of these little ones, and he adds the parable of the ninety and nine sheep left in the mountains, and of the one that went astray, which the good shepherd, because of its great weakness, could not go after, and so he brought it back on his shoulder to the rest of the flock. Some think that he, who was in the form of God, yet did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being obedient to the Father even unto death, even death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-8): and for this reason he descended to the earthly realm, to save the one lost sheep, that is, the human race. But others think that the number of ninety-nine sheep represents the righteous, and the one sheep, the sinner, as he said elsewhere: I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners: for it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Luke 5:32). This parable in the Gospel according to Luke is written with two other parables, the parable of the ten drachmas and the parable of the two sons (Luke 15).
18:14
(Verse 14) So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. He refers to the previously stated proposition, of which he said: See that you do not despise one of these little ones; and he teaches this by means of a placed parable, so that the little ones may not be despised. And in what he says: It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish: whenever one of these little ones perishes, it is shown that it is not by the will of the Father.
18:15-17
(Verse 15 and following) But if your brother sins against you, go and confront him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed. 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. If our brother sins against us, and he harms us in any way, we have the power, indeed the necessity, to forgive our debtors as is commanded. But if someone sins against God, it is not within our power. For divine Scripture says: If a man sins against another man, the priest will pray for him. But if someone sins against God, who will pray for him? On the contrary, we are kind in the face of God's injustice, and in our own insults we exercise hatred. However, the brother must be rebuked privately, so that if he has once lost shame and modesty, he may not remain in sin. And if indeed he listens, we gain his soul, and through the salvation of another, we also acquire salvation for ourselves. But if he refuses to listen, let a brother be called in. And if he does not listen to him, let a third person be called in, either to correct him or to meet with witnesses. But if he refuses to listen to them as well, then it is necessary to bring in many people, so that he may be held in detestation, and let him who could not be saved by shame be saved by disgrace. However, when it is said, 'Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector,' it is shown that there is a greater detestation for someone who acts as a faithful person under the title of an infidel than for those who openly identify as Gentiles. For publicans are called according to tropology, those who pursue worldly gains and demand taxes through dealings and frauds, thefts, and wicked perjuries.
18:18
(Verse 18.) Truly I tell you: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. For it was said: If, however, he does not listen to the Church, let him be to you like a Gentile and a tax collector, and it could be a hidden response of contempt for a brother, or a silent thought, if you despise me, I despise you, if you condemn me, you will be condemned by my judgment: he gives the power to the apostles, so that they may know that those who are condemned by such are confirmed by human judgment, and whatever is bound on earth is bound equally in heaven.
18:19-20
(Verse 19, 20.) 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. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. The above discourse has encouraged us towards harmony. Therefore, it promises a reward so that we may hasten eagerly towards peace, as it says that it will be present among two or three. Similar to the example of a tyrant, who wanted to prove that he had captured two friends (when one returned to see his mother and gave his friend as a surety for himself), so he wanted to test one, and release the other. And when he returned on the appointed day, marveling at the faith of both, he asked that they have a third. We can also understand this spiritually, that where the spirit and soul and body agree and do not have war between themselves of different desires (or pleasures); with the flesh desiring against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, they obtain from the Father whatever they seek about any thing. And there is no doubt that the request of good things is certain, where the body wants to have those things which the spirit wants.
18:21-22
(Verse 21, 22.) Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. The Lord's words weighed heavily on him, and they could not be broken like a triple cord. Earlier, he had said, See that you do not despise one of these little ones; and he had added, If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. And he had promised a reward, saying, If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. The apostle Peter, provoked, asks how many times he should forgive his brother who sins against him, and when he proposes the question, should it be up to seven times? Jesus responds: Not up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven, that is, four hundred and ninety times, so that he should forgive his brother who sins against him as many times in a day as that brother cannot sin.
18:23
(Verse 23.) Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. It is customary for the Syrians and especially the Palestinians to connect all their speech with parables, so that what cannot be understood by the listeners through a simple commandment may be understood through similarity and examples. Therefore, he instructed Peter using the comparison of a king and master, and servants. The servant, who owed ten thousand talents, begged the master for forgiveness and obtained it; so he also should forgive his fellow servants for their lesser sins. That king and lord forgave the servant debtors ten thousand talents as easily as he did. How much more should servants forgive their fellow servants lesser debts? To make it more clear, let's say it with an example: If one of us commits adultery, murder, sacrilege, greater crimes worth ten thousand talents, they are forgiven when asked, so should we forgive lesser sins of others. But if we, because of an insult, remain unforgiving and perpetuate discord because of a bitter word, don't we seem to be rightly sent to prison? And using our own work as an example, shouldn't we act in such a way that we don't receive forgiveness for greater offenses?
18:24-34
(Verse 24 onwards) And when he began to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. But since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' And his fellow servant falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will render thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. Now his fellow servants seeing what was done, were very much grieved, and they came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him; and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me. Therefore, should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you? And his master, being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he should pay back all the debt. I know certain individuals who owed ten thousand talents, interpreting the devil, whose wife and children they wanted to sell while he persisted in wickedness, to represent foolishness and evil thoughts. For just as the wife of the righteous is said to be wisdom, so the wife of the unjust and sinner is called foolishness. But how will the master forgive him ten thousand talents; and he did not forgive us, his servants, one hundred denarii, neither is it of Ecclesiastical interpretation, nor should it be accepted by prudent men.
18:35
(Verse 35) In this way, my heavenly Father will also do to you, unless each one of you forgives his brother from your heart. This is a frightening statement, if the divine judgment is turned and changed according to our own judgment. If we do not forgive our brothers for small offenses, God will not forgive us for great offenses. And because each one can say: I have nothing against him, he knows: he has God as judge, I do not care what he wants to do, I have forgiven him; he confirms his own judgment and destroys all pretense of false peace, saying: Unless each one of you forgives his brother from your heart.
19:1-3
(Chapter XIX. — Verse 1 and following) And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee and came into the borders of Judea, beyond the Jordan; and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there. And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause? He had come from Galilee to Judea; therefore, the faction of the Pharisees and Scribes questioned him, whether it is lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause, so that they may hold him in a trap as if he were caught in a syllogism, and whatever he answers, may be used against him. If he says that wives should be dismissed for any reason whatsoever, and other wives should be taken, he will appear to preach against chastity. But if he responds that not every reason warrants dismissal, he will be held guilty of sacrilege as if he were a transgressor of the law given through Moses and by Moses from God. Therefore, the Lord tempers his response so that their disciple may understand, citing sacred Scripture as evidence and opposing the natural law and the first intention of God with the second intention, which was granted not by the will of God but by the necessity of sinners.
19:4
(V. 4.) And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female? This is written in the beginning of Genesis. But in saying male and female, he pointed towards monogamous marriages. For he did not say males and females, which was sought after due to the repudiation of the former, but male and female, so that the bond of one spouse might be established.
19:5-6
(Vers. 5, 6.) And he said: Because of this, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Likewise, he said, a man must be united to his wife, not wives. And the two will become one flesh. The reward of marriage is for two to become one flesh. Chastity joined to the spirit makes one spirit.