Sunday, October 19

31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

32In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;

33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

12:1It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:

2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

3And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

4how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

5Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.

6For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

9And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

5'A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.

6Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.

7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

8But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.' When He had said these things He cried, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'

9Then His disciples asked Him, saying, 'What does this parable mean?'

10And He said, 'To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.'

11'Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

13But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

14Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

15But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

11But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

12And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13Then they said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.'

14Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

15Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, 'Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.'

16Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni!' (which is to say, Teacher).

17Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' '

18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.