THORNS AND GRACE
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
I remember going barefoot as a ten year old kid, when I was living in Aiken as a preacher’s kid. As I was going barefoot, I wound up stepping on a board that had three nails in it. The pain got my attention and definitely changed the way I walked. Suffice it to say that following the incident, I got a tetanus shot that felt like another nail.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing passages of scripture is that of Paul's mention of the "thorn in his flesh." Paul expounded upon his metaphor of the thorn as he said that it was something that kept his pride in check. The thorn in Paul’s flesh kept him from walking with his head held too high. In fact, when it came to bragging, Paul often took the low road.
Paul never tells us what his "thorn" was. Therefore, one can only speculate as to what it was. Ecclesiastes 3: . Paul talks about the thorn, its purpose and his prayer for it removal.
THE THORN
Paul used "thorn" and "flesh" as metaphors. Since Paul’s use of the word for flesh was not restricted to just the physical realm, people have speculated what Paul was describing. The "thorn" could refer to a bodily ailment (epilepsy, migraine , a speech impediment, ophthalmia, malaria), or a mental struggle (bouts of depression, despair, or spiritual). (Ernest Best. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary For Teaching And Preaching; Second Corinthians. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1987, p. 118). Even though we cannot specify what the thorn is that Paul is describing, we can certainly can identify Paul’s metaphor of the thorn in the flesh.
There are different reactions to pain of our "thorns". Someone (Warren Wiersbe) notes three possible reactions of others. First, there is the potential for bitterness toward God or others. Secondly, there is the option that Paul eventually chose which is to surrender and accept suffering. Thirdly, like Paul, there are those who pray for deliverance and learn that deliverance comes through prayer while relying on God to help them with what is beyond their ability to control or bear alone. (Warren W. Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Volume 1. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989, pp. 674 - 675). Again, what makes some draw closer to God can also make others withdraw from God.
Sometimes pain is a given circumstance of our humanity. How can we live and not experience something that will cause pain whether physical, emotional or spiritual? We can do things and make decisions that cause us pain. A pastor friend of mine once preached a sermon where he distinguished between “clean pain” meaning things caused by others or “dirty pain” that we caused ourselves. Just think of the innocent victims that get hurt because of the carelessness of drunk drivers.
THE PURPOSE
Believe it or not, physical pain does serve a purpose. It has been said (by Dr. Paul Brandt and Philip Yancey) that pain can serve a purpose. "Pain employs a total range of conversation. It whispers to us in the early stages of damage: subconsciously, we feel a slight discomfort and toss and turn in bed. It speaks to us as danger increases: a hand grows tender and sore after a long stint at raking leaves. And pain shouts at us when danger becomes severe: blisters, ulcers, and tissue damage break out, forcing us to change behavior" . (Dr. Paul Brandt and Philip Yancey. In His Image. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984, p. 235). The same is true of pain on a spiritual level.
How does pain serve a purpose on the spiritual level? It has been said (by Dr. Paul Brandt and Philip Yancey) that “Pain unifies the body” . (Dr. Paul Brandt and Philip Yancey, p. 241). Someone might ask “How does pain unify the body?” Consider what Paul says in I Corinthians 12:26: "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored every part rejoices with it" (NIV). The way that we respond to it brings out what is inside of us, whether it be bitterness, doubt or faith.
At the beginning of this text (I Corinthians 12:1- 10) Paul indirectly tells us he was called up to Paradise which for the Jews was believed to be the highest level of heaven. You see Paul kept quiet about that vision for 14 years. When he talks about it, he speaks in the third person so as not to draw attention to himself in exaltation. In Paul's own words he says, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (II Corinthians 12:7 NIV). In spite of how weak this “thorn” made Paul, God gave him the strength that he needed to endure: “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into it’s own in your weakness” ( I Corinthians 12:9 The Message). God’s grace is sufficient because His power is made perfect in our weakness (I Corinthians 12:9 NIV Paraphrased).
THE PRAYERS
Paul prayed three times for the removal of the "thorn." As we know, God did not remove the "thorn". What is the thorn that God uses in our lives? I think that sometimes one of my thorns is patience. You know what I am talking about. I am talking about the kind of patience that causes us to pray “God give me patience and I want it right now” kind-of-a-thing. I have prayed that God would remove my impatient streak only to learn that He uses it, it seems, to teach me how to be still and rely on Him. And the older I get I am learning that God wants to teach us about relying on His grace. In His grace God somehow teaches us to learn how to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
God's grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9). When God does not take away the "thorns" that irritate us, He gives us the strength to endure: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9 NIV). Someone (Richard Carl Hoefler) made a profound statement concerning the strength that God gives to those who trust Him and live in accordance with His design: "Our relationship to God does make a difference---a crucial difference. The house built on a rock represents that difference. God enables the righteous to endure the disasters life impartially hurls in our path. God gives not special privileges to the righteous but special power". (Richard Carl Hoefler. The Divine Trap. Lima: The C. S. S. Publishing Company, Inc., 1980, p. 15). Prayer is the way that we dialogue with God to find that strength that He makes us strong in our moments of weakness because of His grace that is at work.
I have often heard that “prayer changes things and people”. Nineteen years ago, Guidepost magazine had a comment that reflected on Paul and his reflection in II Corinthians 12:1 -10. That comment explained how God uses prayer to change people: "Prayer may not change things for you, but it sure changes you for things." When Paul prayed for his thorn to be removed, he asked God to "change things." Instead, God changed him so that he could handle his pain and suffering". (Raymond McHenry. ed. McHenry’s Quips, Quotes And Other Notes. [Source: Guideposts, Jan. 1993, p. 46]. Third Printing. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004, p. 197). How have you found a time that God used prayer to make a change in you to help you with what it was that you were facing?
Have you ever prayed for help when it seemed hopeless anyway? Imagine yourself at a ski resort on Christmas Eve as you find yourself stranded on that mountain in deep snow and freezing temperatures. Imagine that you went to the spot where the shuttle ran only to find it was not running on this day. You want to yell for help for two hours but your are starting to lose hope. You want to go up the mountain but you are too tired. Now, it’s 7:00 p.m. and the only thing you had to eat in those circumstances was not a hot meal but just a candy bar. Then imagine that the temperature dropped into single digits. What would you do, would you pray or would you give up? All of these things happened to Karen Hartley at Powder Mountain, Utah, at a ski resort area. What did she do? She began to dance in the dark to the music that was playing in her head. You name it, she sang and danced to it---old disco songs, show tunes, stuff that was both current and popular, Christmas tunes and even camp songs. She danced all night long. She danced all night long, refusing to give up. The next morning, when she got rescued, she was cold but made it through that ordeal when others might have given up. (Randy Hammer. Dancing In The Dark. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 1999, pp. 3 – 4, paraphrased). Have you found that God has made a change in you that helped you through a hard time? Have you ever prayed and found out how God gave you the strength to dance all night long?
A woman had been a part of a Bible Study group and decided to explore a verse in Malachi 3:3. So she asked a silver smith about it. This woman from that Bible Study offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She explored that verse … 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy – when I see my image in it.' (circulating internet story). We were created in God’s image. That image got marred in the Garden of Eden. It is through our relationship with Jesus Christ that our image is restored. Jesus removed our dross and refined us through the price that He paid for our sins on the cross.
