“PEARLS FROM PAUL-THE MINISTRY OF OUR THORNS”
2 CORINTIANS 12:1-10
INTRO: As God’s children, we should always be ready to thank God for the
blessings He showers on us. But what about the troubles, trials,
heartaches, and difficulties. We, most of the time, fail to thank God
for our troubles, trials, heartaches, and difficulties. Even though we
are willing to praise Him for His goodness, we sometimes fail to
consider that even adverse circumstances are blessings in disguise.
Scottish preacher George Matheson realized he was not as ready to
praise God when things went wrong as he was when they went right.
However, after he began to lose his eyesight, he changed his thinking.
He struggled for some months with this weary burden until he
reached a point where he could pray, “My God, I have never thanked
You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses,
but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world
where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought
of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.”
That hardship can actually be a blessing--or "a severe mercy," to
recall Sheldon Vanauken's book of that title--is a profoundly Christian
insight seldom heard these days, even from the clergy, who so often
seem preoccupied with being "pastoral" or superficially popular. –
Editorial in the New Oxford Review (July-Aug. l988). Christianity
Today, Vol. 34, no. 6.
As we count our blessings, we should include our weaknesses, the
hardships, the trials, the burdens, and the pain we face. When we
do, we may find that God has used our difficulties more than the
“good” things in our lives to help us grow spiritually. Why is that?
Because it is in the difficult times and places in life that we discover
the sufficiency of God’s grace. The story is told that one day Charles
H. Spurgeon was riding home after a heavy day's work, feeling weary
and depressed. A verse came to his mind, "My grace is sufficient for
you." In his mind he immediately compared himself to a little fish in
the Thames River, apprehensive lest drinking so many pints of the
water each day he should drink it dry. Then Father Thames says to
him, "Drink away, little fish. My stream is sufficient for you." Next he
thought of a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt, afraid lest its daily
nibbles exhaust the supplies and cause it to starve to death. Then
Joseph comes along and says "Cheer up, little mouse. My granaries
are sufficient for you." Then he thought of a man climbling some high
mountain to reach its lofty summit and dreaded lest his breathing
might exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere. The Creator booms
His voice out of heaven saying, "Breathe away, oh man, and fill your
lungs. My atmosphere is sufficient for you!" So lets rest in God's
wonderful grace, knowing it will be sufficient for us! - Our Sufficiency
in Christ, John MacArthur p. 256. No matter what is happening in our
lives we can rest in God’s grace knowing it is sufficient for us!
As we face our trials, we must turn to God. As we depend upon Him,
we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. The Lord
told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9—“..My grace is sufficient for thee: for
my strength is made perfect in weakness.” The LORD told Paul, “The
more, and the more violently, thou art afflicted and tried, being
upheld by my power, and prospered in all thy labors, the more
eminently will my power be seen and acknowledged. For the weaker
the instrument I use, the more the power of my grace shall be
manifested” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on The Bible). Paul tells us
in v7b—“…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh..” In v8, Paul
tells us that three times he has asked to take away his thorn. The
word “besought” in v8 in the Greek literally means “to call along to
one’s side.” Paul was saying, “Lord, come to my side and give me aid
that this thorn might depart from me.”
There is much debate about the identity of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,”
so instead of speculating about what it was that troubled Paul, let
see what we do know:
(1) It was there by DIVINE PERMISSION—“there was given me a
thorn in the flesh..” The implication is that It was given by the
Lord and according to His plan. Paul said, “God was pleased to
appoint me.” The word which Paul uses is worthy of special
notice. It is that this “thorn in the flesh” was given to him,
implying that it was a favor. He does not complain of it; he does
not say it was sent in cruelty; he does not even speak of it as an
affliction; he speaks of it as a gift, as any man would of a favor
that had been bestowed. Paul had so clear a view of the benefits
which resulted from it that he regarded it as a favor, as Christians
should every trial (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible). Some have
difficulty with that. We must remember that God loves us so
much He would rather us be holy than momentarily happy. True
happiness always follows holiness.
(2) It was PERSISTENT—“For this thing, I besought the Lord thrice,
that it might depart from me.” (v8). God did not remove Paul’s
thorn, but He did explain to him its purpose. This thorn although
painful would work a great ministry in the life of Paul. Sometimes
we pray to have a thorn removed from our lives when it is the will
of God to minister to us through the thorn. Charles Spurgeon
said, “Paul reckoned his great trial to be a gift. It is well-put. He
does not say, “There was inflicted on me a thorn in the flesh,” but
“There was given to me.” This is holy reckoning. Child of God,
among all the goods of your house, you have not one single article
that is a better token of divine love to you than your daily cross”
(1).
(3) It was PROFITABLE. Whatever this thorn was it did for the
Apostle Paul something nothing else could do. That is why we see
Paul glorying in the suffering that it caused. He realized he was
suffering for the cause of Christ. And when he was at his weakest
it was then that God’s power was greatest in his life!
Let us today think about the subject, “The Ministry of Our Thorns.”
The “thorn” in Paul’s life served a two-fold ministry:
(1) THE MINISTRY OF THE THORN IS THE PREVENTION OF PRIDE
2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-7
A. THE THORNS IN OUR LIFE DERAIL OUR PRIDE (V7). Paul said,
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance
of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the
messenger of Satan to buffet me..” Charles Swindoll says in his book,
Paul, A Man of Grace and Grit, “…the enemy hoped to use it to cause
the apostle to defect or to retreat from his calling. God used it to keep
the gifted servant on his knees” (2).
There are many kinds of pride but the most destructive of all is our
sense of importance to God.
ILLUS: Somehow it has always bothered me to see a person in
arrogance kick their dog in anger and then see the little dog
come crawling on it's belly to lick the person’s shoe. That little
dog may think that person is pretty important. . ..but I think
they are a scoundrel. And I believe there is an important
comparison we could make in everyday life. It seems that
when some people come around “great” Christians they tend to
grovel on the ground and say kick me if you want to I'll be glad
to lick your boots anyway. But does God see the same
importance in that person that we do? Probably not. It is the
humble person that seems to impress God. The one which
serves God faithfully but quietly not expecting any reward. If
we could only learn to see things as God does!
If there were ever a man who had that of which he might be spiritually
proud, Paul did. He recounts for us one of his spiritual experiences
that might have caused him pride in vv. 1-7. Paul was “caught up” to
the third heaven into the presence of God. He saw “paradise” (v4) and
what he heard and what he saw was so wonderful that it was
impossible to be put into words. He was forbidden to tell some of what
he had heard (v4b). No doubt, since it came just prior to the launching
of his missionary ministry, it was given to encourage him in the
difficult days of suffering, shame, and trouble which were ahead. But
the experience was of such a nature that it could also cause him to be
“puffed up” and feel superior to others. Men today are known to boast
of their spiritual experiences. They want everyone to know how
“spiritual” they are or have become because of some experience they
have had. But Paul was not such a man. He says in v1—“It is not
expedient for me doubtless to glory..” Why was it that Paul did not
mention this experience to every group of believers to whom he wrote,
but only to the Corinthians? Perhaps because the Corinthians were
constantly bragging about their spiritual visions and gifts (1 Cor. 12),
he wanted to demonstrate to them that in spite of his unique
experience, he was a mere human with a mortal body who must not
boast about his purely spiritual experiences which are not a part and
parcel of every believer while in this mortal body (3).
B. THE THORNS IN OUR LIFE DRIVE US TO DEDICATION,
DEPENDENCE AND PRAYER (V8). God knows our human nature.
He made us and knows the heart of man is very proud. The church,
unfortunately, has become a museum to display the victorious life. –
Bruce Larson, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4. We must learn it is not our
experiences which make us useful to God but our dedication and
dependence upon Him. Verse 8 tells us, “For this thing I besought
the Lord thrice, that it might be removed from me.” Paul cried out to
God, “…Lord, remove my thorn,” not once but three times. Matthew
Henry said, “Prayer is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every
malady; and when we are afflicted with thorns in the flesh, we should
give ourselves to prayer. If an answer be not given to the first prayer,
nor to the second, we are to continue praying. Troubles are sent to
teach us to pray; and are continued, to teach us to continue instant in
prayer. Though God accepts the prayer of faith, yet he does not always
give what is asked for: as he sometimes grants in wrath, so he
sometimes denies in love” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary).
Whatever the thorn that plagued Paul’s life, it was there to prevent
pride. “..Lest I be exalted above measure.” (v7b). Every day of Paul’s
life it was a constant reminder of his humanity and utter dependence
upon the Lord. It crippled his humanity so that Paul could experience
more of God’s ability. The Lord answered his prayer, not by removing
the thorn, but by giving grace to bear it, and by the assurance that
Paul's sense of weakness, caused by it, fitted him to receive the divine
strength (The People’s New Testament Commentary).
(2) THE MINISTRY OF THE THORN PREPARES US FOR POWER
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10—“And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
A. THE POWER NEEDED. We are not given the liberty of knowing when
this thorn first appeared in Paul’s life but his immediate response was
to ask the Lord to remove it. Paul felt, as many do today, that
anything which limits our ability could not be the will of God. Yes, we
need power to serve God, but not of ourselves it must come from the
Lord! When we are strong in abilities or resources, we are tempted to
do God’s work on our own, and that leads to pride. When we are
weak, when we allow God to fill us with his power, then we are
stronger than we could ever be on our own. We must depend on
God—only work done in his power makes us effective for Him and has
lasting value (4).
ILLUS: Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was a brilliant theologian
whose sermons had an overwhelming impact on those who
heard him. One in particular, his famous "Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God," moved hundreds to repentance and
salvation. That single message helped to spark the revival
known as "The Great Awakening" (1734-1744). From a
human standpoint, it seems incredible that such far-reaching
results could come from one message. Edwards did not have