Book of Common Prayer

12 I must talk about myself even though it does no good. I will talk about visions and things which the Lord has shown me.

² I know a Christian man. Fourteen years ago he was taken up into the place where God lives. I do not know if he was in his body when he went or not. God knows if he was.

³ I do know this. He was taken up into the place where God lives. And again I say, I do not know if he was in his body or not. God knows if he was.

⁴ This man heard things which cannot be told. No person on earth can speak them.

⁵ I will talk about such a man. But I will not talk about myself. If I do talk, it will be about the ways I am weak.

⁶ Now if I wanted to talk about myself, I would not be foolish. I would be telling the truth. But I will not say any more. This is why: I do not want anyone to think I am better than what he sees I am, or hears me teach. I want him to judge me only by what he can see in me and by what I say.

⁷ Because the things God showed me were so wonderful, I might have become too proud of myself. But something happened and stopped that. It was like a thorn in me. It came from Satan [the devil] to trouble me. It came to stop me from being too proud.

⁸ I begged the Lord three times that this trouble might leave me.

⁹ But he said to me, `My kindness and strength is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is strong.' So then, I am very glad to talk about how weak I am so that the power of Christ may live in me.

¹⁰ So then, for the sake of Christ I am glad to be weak, to have people say wrong things about me, to be poor, to have people trouble me, and to have hard times. When I am weak, that is the time I am really strong, have been acting like one with no sense, but you have made me do it. You should have been talking about the good things I have done. The very best apostles are not one bit better than I am, even though I am nothing at all.

²⁸ When Jesus had said this, he went on ahead of them towards Jerusalem.

²⁹ He came near Bethphage and Bethany by the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then he sent two of his disciples ahead.

³⁰ He said, `Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you go in, you will find an animal tied up. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it to me.

³¹ If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" tell him, "The Lord needs it." '

³² They went and found it just as Jesus had said.

³³ When they were untying the animal, the men who owned it asked them, `Why are you untying the animal?'

³⁴ They said, `The Lord needs it.'

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus and laid their coats on it. Then they put Jesus on it.

³⁶ As he was riding along, people spread their coats on the road.

³⁷ He came near the top of the hill called the Mount of Olives. Then all the people who believed in him began to be happy. They sang out loudly, and praised God in a loud voice for all the big works they had seen.

³⁸ They said, `God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven where God is praised!'

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees who were among the people said to Jesus, `Teacher, tell your disciples to stop saying that.'

⁴⁰ Jesus answered, `I tell you, if they do not speak like this the stones will call out.'