When Ana was around 4 years old, she had the habit, when she walked by a bush, to grab a branch of that bush and strip the leaves off, as she was walking by. Rachel and I warned her that this behavior was not a good idea but it was kind of slow to sink in. Until we were in Montgomery, AL and we were on the campus of Faulkner University and walking across campus, Ana reached out (she was 4 years old), and grabbed a bush to strip off the leaves. Before I could stop her… it was a holly bush! All those little prickly leaves stuck into her hand. Poor little Ana.
Thorns. Thorns hurt. Thorns and splinters. If they are big enough, it is easy to see them and you can pull them out. If they are not big enough, they can be notoriously hard to see and if you can’t see them, it is hard to pull them out.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul uses the imagery of a thorn as a metaphor for a weakness, a temptation, that he had which was used by the devil to get Paul to sin.
Keep in mind that this discussion is in the context of Paul receiving a special vision, a special revelation of the dwelling place of God (vs 4). Paul uses the word “revelations” in the plural. Paul had received more than one revelation from Jesus Christ. Because of those revelations, in order to keep Paul from being filled with pride – “to keep me from exalting myself” – Paul writes, he was given a “thorn in the flesh.”
Notice what Paul says about this thorn in the flesh:
1. It was a “messenger of Satan.” No evil comes from God. “Whenever you feel tempted to do something bad, you should not say, “God is tempting me” (James 1:13). This evil, this thorn in the flesh, was from Satan just as the sufferings of Job were caused by Satan, not by God.
2. Satan intended this “thorn in the flesh” to “torment” Paul. The verb “torment” means to “beat with the fist.” This was a hard, brutal attack that Satan delivered to Paul, apparently on multiple occasions. Again, Satan’s method of work is to cause some type of suffering, to get us to doubt the wisdom, love, holiness, or power of God. But,
3. God limited what Satan could do against Paul, just as He limited Satan in what he could do against Job – God intended this thorn in the flesh to humble Paul, to keep him from “exalting” himself..
4. Paul prayed to the Lord three times that Jesus would take away this thorn in the flesh.
5. But, God knows best; if we’ll trust Him, things will always work out for the best. So, Jesus responded, “My grace is sufficient for you. For power is perfected in weakness.” The same answer, basically, is found in Judges 7-8 (7:2).
God allows us to experience our “thorns in the flesh” so that you and I will know and understand that the power for salvation is not in us. It is not in our ability to live sinlessly. It is not in our wisdom, our knowledge, our perfection. Take a look at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:3-5. That is the same message as what Paul is writing here in verse 9.
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6. Paul writes that he would rather boast about his weaknesses so that everyone will know that it is the power of Christ which dwells in him. The message of Jesus Christ is what is most important in all the world. Trust it. Obey it. Study it. Live by it.
7. Finally, in verse 10, Paul writes that he is, in fact, content with weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions, even difficulties, for the sake of Christ because it is then that he realizes he is weak so that only in Christ can he be strong. Strength comes from Christ.
Does that mean we should thank God that we have our thorns in the flesh? I’m not sure that’s the conclusion we should draw. But, let us thank God that He reminds us frequently – through our weaknesses – that we are only human and that if we will be saved, it will not be through our perfection but through the grace and power of God.
When we realize and admit, acknowledge and confess to one another that we have this thorn in the flesh:
1. We show ourselves to others that we are real, genuine, authentic human beings. We are not “holier than thou,” because we are Christians. We have struggles just like everyone else.
2. But, because we find our strength in Jesus Christ, not in our ability to live perfectly, then we can live a life of joy, being forgiven daily through the blood of Christ, by the grace of God.
3. We should, therefore, be humble with other people who struggle with their own thorns in the flesh. They are hurting and they need the Great Physician. We should not be judgmental but encouraging and forgiving and helpful as best we can.
4. That is not to say that we ignore, condone, or tolerate sin. It is because of the price of sin that we cannot ignore it. But we don’t try to redeem the sinner. Only Jesus Christ can do that. It might be through patience, love, prayers, and encouragement that someone with a thorn in the flesh will finally have the courage to come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness. That needs to be our plea, our focus, our prayer.
Thorns in the flesh remind us that the power of salvation comes from Jesus Christ. When we are weak, He is strong.
Paul Holland
