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. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-8 NIV)
The dictionary defines a thorn as any of various sharp, spiny protuberances; a prickle that causes sharp pain, irritation, or great discomfort. But if you’re older than about age 4 and have spent any time at all outside, you probably have a more “piercing” memory of the definition of thorn! We have a bush in our yard that, no matter how careful I am when pruning it, sticks me a few times before I’m done.
Commentaries offer a number of suggestions as to what Paul’s “thorn” in 2 Corinthians 12:7 actually was; the possibilities range from bad eyesight to a physical ailments to severe persecution. They all agree, however, that whatever this “thorn” actually was, it was extremely painful for Paul.
Paul was no ivory tower preacher. Throughout his ministry he faced severe persecution and calamities. In this same epistle to the Corinthians, Paul described the dangers and difficulties he faced in bringing the Gospel to the nations. Paul had endured:
. . . far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
(2 Corinthians 11:23-29)
Paul had suffered in ways that you and I can only imagine—stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19), actually spending a day and a night drifting in the open sea, perhaps clinging to a piece of wreckage, praying for rescue. For such a man to cry out to God—not once, but three times—that the Lord might remove this “thorn” from him . . . Paul had to be in anguish! The thorn was, after all, a messenger of Satan, and the cruel adversary of the saints must have hated Paul with a vicious fury that is reserved for very few men.
What about you? Are you experiencing the stabbing pain of a thorn? They come in all shapes and sizes. Do any of these describe your current existence?
- Regret over the past
- Fear about the future
- Sickness or wasting disease
- Rebellious children
- In-laws who act like outlaws
- Shattered dreams
- Broken promises
- Unpleasant or unreasonable boss
- Unfriendly co-worker
- Unemployment, bankruptcy, or simply “too much month at the end of the money”
I’m sure you can recall many more thorns that have tested your faith. They affect us physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. They frequently rob us of our joy . . . but this is not for you! This does not have to be the ultimate testimony of the thorns in your life!
The other day I was talking with my friend, the headmaster of Westminster Academy, Dr. Leo Orsino. He said something that really struck me and inspired today’s blog, “The test you are facing IS your testimony!”
So . . . do you have a thorn? Are you making that trial your testimony about the all-sufficient power of Christ? Have you taken your pain and laid it before the throne of grace, as Paul did?
Persistent prayer is a very good thing; Scripture commands us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But notice that there was a time for Paul to pray and there was also a time for Paul to press on, regardless of the thorn. The key to Paul’s ability to triumph through his trial was his relationship with Jesus Christ. Because Paul’s life was shaped by his Savior, he was able to rise above the thorn’s stabbing pain and serve God with freedom, fervor, and faithfulness. Because his life was oriented around his Savior, he was able to embrace the Lord’s response to his persistent prayers.
I am not a big fan of paraphrased Scriptures, but I do love J. B. Phillips’ rendering of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
[God’s] reply has been, “My grace is enough for you: for where there is weakness, my power is shown the more completely.” Therefore, I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ. I can even enjoy weaknesses, suffering, privations, persecutions and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For my very weakness makes me strong in him.
Our thorns—our troubles and trials—are designed to dismantle all of our idols, including self-sufficiency and autonomy. Our thorns weaken us, and in our weakness we are driven to the Cross for the only power that will sustain us. Christ’s steadfast love, mercy, and power are made manifest in our powerlessness. Your thorn is one of God’s greatest graces your life!
Do you see it? The test you are facing is your testimony of God’s power working in your life! Every thorn is an opportunity to glorify God. And God’s purpose for Paul’s thorn was the same as it is for yours. Just like our first parents back in the Garden, we all tend toward self-sufficiency and autonomy. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we act as if we embrace the lines of the haughty humanist anthem: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” God allows the thorns to remind us that we were made by Him and for Him, and our divine design demands our need of Him.
We were never created nor intended to find our identity and significance outside of God. God is always to be the center and circumference of our lives, and He will send as many “thorns” as we need to live out this truth. When we invite Jesus to sit on the throne of our lives we will be able to say with Paul, “I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ.”
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 