2 Corinthians 12:7-9 – So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
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Over the past couple of chapters of 2 Corinthians, Paul has challenged this church to stop following certain false teachers. He has challenged them to stop being enamored by those teachers’ pedigrees, and instead to be focused on the truth of God. In order to prove his point, Paul listed for the Corinthians his own qualifications for ministry, but couched all of his terms in humility, as he did not want them to think that he brought anything to the table on his own. The last of these personal ministry qualifications that Paul described was a vision in which he was caught up into heaven and beheld the glory of God (an experience unique to Paul and John as apostles and not something we should expect for ourselves).
In light of speaking about his revelation, Paul also wanted the Corinthians to know that God did something rather unique for Paul after his visions. In order to keep Paul from becoming too proud, too elated, with himself for having had such a fantastic spiritual experience, God sent Paul a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan. While countless scholars have debated what that thorn might have been (a sickness, a demon, poor eyesight, a literal thorn, etc), I think that we have come very close to missing a very important point in this passage.
I too might have missed this point, were it not for Dr. Stewart Scott, a professor at Southern Seminary. Thus, I am indebted to him for this thought. We need to notice that Paul was sent a thorn in the flesh by God. God gave Paul something that made him miserable. God gave him something that Paul hated, and three times asked to have removed. And we had better ask ourselves why that is.
If you are thinking to yourself that Paul received this thorn in the flesh because he had gotten arrogant, you are dead wrong. Paul makes it absolutely clear that the thorn was not because of his arrogance, but it was given by God to keep him from becoming arrogant, too elated. God allowed Paul to suffer in order to protect Paul from potential future sin. The thorn in Paul’s flesh, his miserable and trying circumstance, was God’s means of protecting Paul from becoming too puffed up with himself because of his experience.
I once heard a story about a shepherd who had a sheep that was prone to wander off. As the sheep ran away from the shepherd, it placed its very life in danger. During a particularly dangerous season in which wolves were near the sheep pens, the shepherd knew that the sheep would likely wander off and be devoured by the wolves. So, the shepherd took a radical step to keep his one sheep from running away: the shepherd broke the sheep’s leg. While this hurt the sheep for a time, it kept the sheep alive until it could learn to stay with the flock under the safety of the shepherd’s watchful eye.
With Paul’s experience and that of the sheep in mind, we might do well to rethink how much we should hate pride and personal sin. It was a mercy for God to let Paul suffer the thorn in the flesh in order that Paul would not sin the sin of pride. It was a kind, merciful, gracious thing for God to do that in Paul’s life. Are you willing to allow God to be that gracious to you? Would you rather suffer than be sinful before God? Would you rather live in pain than be proud? Would you be willing to allow God, your shepherd, to break your leg in order to keep you safely close to him instead of allowing you to wander off to your death? If not, you have missed the seriousness of sin before God and the ugliness of our own pride.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will do whatever it takes to protect me and my family from sin before you. Please keep us humble in your eyes. Please grant that we would not fail by becoming proud. Please take whatever steps are necessary to lead us into righteous living before you. No, I do not want to suffer. I do not want pain. I pray that you will help me to follow you without needing a thorn in the flesh. However, if a thorn is what I need in order to most glorify you, I ask that you will grant me the grace to endure it for your glory. Lord, your glory is far more important than my comfort, so do what you must do to help me to honor you in all things.
Pastor Travis Peterson 