Matthew 18:6 — Community Reflections

MATTHEW 18:6 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

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 around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. The warning against causing the little ones who believe to stumble — the skandalizo language of the stumbling block — is severe: drowning in the sea with a millstone would be preferable to the judgment that awaits the one who causes a believer to fall. The little ones who believe are the humbled-like-children of the kingdom, the vulnerable believers who depend on the community's protection.

Church Fathers on Matthew 18:6

The disciples seeing one piece of money paid both for Peter and the Lord, conceived from this equality of ransom that Peter was preferred before all the rest of the Apostles.
Jerome · 4th century

Thus they suffered a human passion, which the Evangelist denotes by saying, 'At the same time came the disciples to Jesus, saying, 'Who pray thee, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' Ashamed to shew the feeling which was working within, they do not say openly, Why have you honoured Peter above us? but they ask in general, Who is the greatest! When in the transfiguration they saw three distinguished, namely, Peter, James, and John, they had no such feeling, but now that…
Chrysostom · 4th century

Herein we ought to be imitators of the disciples, that when any question of doubt arises among us, and we find not how to settle it, we should with one consent go to Jesus, Who is able to enlighten the hearts of men to the explication of every perplexity. We shall also consult some of the doctors, who are thought most eminent in the Churches. But in that they asked this question, the disciples knew that there was not an equality among the saints in the kingdom of heaven; what…
Origen · 3rd century

Read all 22 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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