Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

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.

6 Jesus left that place and went back to his home town. His disciples went with him.

² On the Sabbath day he began to teach in the meeting house again. Many people who heard him were very much surprised and said, `Where did he learn all this? Where did he get the power to do these big works?

³ Is he not the carpenter? Is not Mary his mother? Are not James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Are not his sisters here with us?' The people did not understand Jesus.

⁴ Jesus said to them, `Other people honour a man who is a prophet of God. But the people in his own country, his own home, and his family, do not honour him.'

⁵ Jesus could not do any big works in that place. But he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

⁶ He was surprised that the people did not believe him. He went out to the villages, teaching the people.

⁷ He called the twelve disciples to him and sent them out two by two. He gave them power to drive bad spirits out of people.

⁸ He said, `Take only a walking stick with you when you go. Do not take anything else. Do not take any food, or a bag, or money.

⁹ Wear shoes, but do not take extra clothing with you.

¹⁰ When you go into a certain house, live there until you leave the town.

¹¹ In some places the people will not take you in. They will not listen to what you say. When you leave such a town, shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them. I tell you the truth. On the day when people are judged, the people in that town will be punished harder than the people in the country of Sodom and Gomorrah.'

¹² The disciples went out and told the people that they should stop doing wrong things.

¹³ They drove bad spirits out of many people. They also put oil on many sick people and healed them.