Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ I think that the troubles we have in this life are nothing when we think of the great things that we shall have.

¹⁹ The whole world is waiting for the time when the sons of God will be seen.

²⁰ The world was spoiled. It did not want to be spoiled, but God allowed it.

²¹ And it hoped to be free like God's children when they are made great.

²² We know that the whole world has been crying. It has had much pain until now.

²³ And not the world only, but we ourselves also cry out. We have the first blessing God gives of his Spirit. But we cry out in our hearts. We are waiting for God to finish making us his sons. Then our bodies will be set free.

²⁴ That is what we hoped for when we were saved. When the thing hoped for is seen, there is no more hoping. When a person sees a thing, how can he hope for it?

²⁵ But if we hope for something we do not see, we keep on waiting for it.

²³ The same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus. They say that people do not rise from death.

²⁴ They came to ask him a question. They said, `Teacher, Moses gave us this law: "If a man dies and has no children, then his brother must marry the wife and raise a family for his brother."

²⁵ There were seven brothers among us. The first one married. He died and left no children. So his brother married the wife.

²⁶ The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third one, and all seven of them.

²⁷ Last of all, the woman died.

²⁸ Now then, when people rise from death, which of the seven brothers will have her for his wife? They all married her.'

²⁹ Jesus answered, `You are wrong! You do not know what the holy writings say. And you do not know what power God has.

³⁰ When people rise from death, men and women do not marry. But they are like angels in heaven.

³¹ People do rise from death! Have you never read what God said to you?

³² He said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He is not the God of dead people, but of living people.'

³³ When the people heard this, they were surprised at his teaching.

³⁴ The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees could not answer Jesus. So they got together.

³⁵ One of them was a man who taught God's law. He asked Jesus a question to try him out.

³⁶ `Teacher,' he said, `which law is the greatest law of all?'

³⁷ Jesus said, ` "Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love him with all your soul, and love him with all your mind."

³⁸ This is the first and greatest law.

³⁹ The second law of God is like it. "Love your neighbour as you love yourself."

⁴⁰ All that is written in the books of the law and the books of the prophets is about these two laws.'