Sighs Too Deep for Words
Isaiah 44:6-8
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the
first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7 Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to
come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. 8 Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you
from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is
no other rock; I know not one.
Romans 8:12-27
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the
flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to
death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are
children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you
have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ 16 it is that very Spirit
bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also
be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager
longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility,
not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation
itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of
the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains
until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For
in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is
seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the
Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that
very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart,
knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to
someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy
came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants
came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the
householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where, then, did these weeds come from?” 28 He answered, “An enemy has done this.”
The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” 29 But he replied,
“No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of
them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the
weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him,
saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ 37 He answered, ‘The one who
sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the
children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who
sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are
angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end
of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom
all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the
sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen