The following is a short message to be delivered at a combined worship service and dinner for the poor in West Philadelphia on April 15, 2011:The world looks upon weakness as an indication that something is flawed, or defective. The world values strength and success and stability and self-sufficiency. Those who belong to This Present Evil Age (Gal. 1:4) boast in such things. And they despise weakness because weakness means dependency. According to the values of This Age, no one in their right mind would boast about their weakness.
But the apostle Paul does…. He says, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor. 11:30). A few verses later he states, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses” (12:9) and “I am content with weaknesses” (12:10).
In the ears of most people today, this kind of stuff sounds like crazy talk. How are we to understand what Paul is talking about? What is his point? Does he even have a point?
In 2 Cor. 12:1-7 Paul recounts a series of events that happened which end with him being tormented by some type of physical affliction. He calls it “a thorn in the flesh.” This affliction harassed him. It tormented him (v. 7); so much so that Paul states he “pleaded with the Lord about this” on multiple occasions “that it should leave” him (v. 8).
Does the Lord answer the repeated prayers of the great apostle? Does the Lord answer the fervent prayers of this extraordinary servant of God by removing the affliction and distress and hardship from Paul’s life?
No.
Why not? That doesn’t seem right! Why would God not heal this man who suffered so greatly in His service? According to Paul, as a result of his ministry for Christ he fell into imprisonments with countless beatings, and was often near death. Five times he was brutally scourged, receiving a total of 195 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once he was stoned. Three times he was shipwrecked and adrift at sea for an entire day. In his frequent journeys he was in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from his own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger from false brothers, suffering through many sleepless nights, suffering from hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor. 11:23-27).
Surely, we think, if there were ever a man whose prayers would always be answered, especially in times of tremendous difficulty and suffering, it would be the great apostle Paul! But his prayers are not answered. At least not in the way he desired them to be answered. Instead, the Lord Jesus responds to Paul and says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (12:9).
You see, we are all weak, fragile little creatures. Yet, because of our sin and alienation from God, we always tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Even the apostle Paul, because of the divine favor shown to him, had a tendency to become arrogant. In 12:7 he twice states that the “thorn in the flesh” was given to keep him “from becoming conceited.” Conceited people exalt themselves instead of God. Proud people depend on themselves for strength and sufficiency and stability; they do not look to the Lord as the Source and Supplier of all.
When we suffer, we are quick to recognize our creatureliness; we are quick to recognize our weakness and utter dependence upon the One who gave us life and breath. Suffering and hardship is used by God to lead us to Him. Many a testimony from church history can be given on how the Lord used suffering and difficulty in the life of an unsaved person to turn them from their idols and bring them to Him.
Our God is not a harsh taskmaster or vindictive deity. Amazingly, even though we rebel against Him and His laws from the moment we are able to decide to do such things as toddlers, He loves us. One of the most stunning and mind-blowing texts in the entire Bible is Rom. 5:8: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (emphasis added). Jesus Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6).
God the Father sent God the Son to die as our substitute, to bear the just penalty that our sin and rebellion deserves. Following His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus was buried. Three days later, He arose again from the grave in triumph over death and Satan. He ascended into heaven where He sits today at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
He is there right now, waiting with outstretched arms, offering us His grace, offering us Himself. We think we can do everything ourselves. We believe that we are independent and strong. But that is a lie of the devil. It is only in recognizing our weakness that the power of Christ can rest upon us (2 Cor. 12:9). Only then can we say with the apostle Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).
Christ bids us to come to Him, we who are bowed down with hardships and burdens and disasters, so that we may lean upon His everlasting arms and find salvation and rest (Matt. 11:28-29).
Let us pray and seek the grace of God that saves and sanctifies our souls.
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