Thorns Abundant and Grace Sufficient 2 Corinthians 12:1–10; Ezekiel 2:1–5; Mark 6:1–13 

 

Grace, mercy and peace to you on this Patriotic Sunday, from God, our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ, who saves us and sets us free.

 

Our message is: Thorns Abundant and Grace Sufficient, based on our Epistle, verses 7-9: 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of 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 becoming conceited.

 

 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

 

One of the amazing things about our God is His ability to work good through our weakness. 

 

Paul makes that clear in today’s Epistle: through his thorn in the flesh, through that adversity, God made the Gospel spread and flourish.

 

The Law of God makes it very clear to us, how weak we sinners are.

 

With sin we bring the curse of death on ourselves, something that we have no power to save ourselves from.

 

But God, in His love and power, took the curse of suffering and death, and used it to save us.

 

In the frailty of human flesh, Jesus suffered and died, and in suffering and dying, did something great for you, something only He could do…

 

… He atoned for the sin of the whole world, lifting the curse of eternal suffering and death, and giving everlasting life and reward to all who believe. 

In first allowing Himself to be weak and succumb to death, Jesus was then able to demonstrate His great and mighty power to rise, victorious over sin, death and all the powers and forces of evil in the Universe and beyond.

 

Through what appears to be weak, God can work great and miraculous things!

 

In the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul, we see God working strength through weakness. 

 

Paul was a mountain of energy, and zeal, and confidence, and boldness, but in order to become an apostle  of the Gospel, he first had to be made weak.

 

Paul, then known as Saul, was an outspoken enemy of the Gospel, and a persecutor of the followers of Christ. 

 

One day, on his way to Damascus, to hunt down some Christians there, Paul  was blinded by a light from Heaven. 

 

It was Christ, changing his life, from being the foremost enemy of the Gospel, to being the foremost champion of the Gospel.

 

Paul couldn’t see a thing after looking into that brilliant light, so he had to be led by the hand to Damascus.

 

Paul was used to being in charge of things, but now he needed to let others be in charge of, and take care of him. 

 

Considering all the enemies Paul had made, he must have felt terribly vulnerable, like an easy target for revenge; his life and well-being and safety were entirely in the hands of God… in the end, that’s true for us all.

 

After three days, God sent a disciple, Annanias, to lay his hands on Paul, and God restored his sight.

 

From that experience of weakness and vulnerability, Paul repented of the evil he had done, and the harm he had caused for so many, and by God’s grace, became the lead apostle to the Gentiles.

 

As great and renown as Paul became, as many times as he shared and proclaimed the Gospel, even to governors and kings, Paul never saved a single soul; he was way too weak for that, as we are.

 

He proclaimed the Word, but only the Holy Spirit gave the power to believe. 

 

The same is true today; we share the Gospel, but it’s the Holy Spirit who gives and strengthens faith.

 

In spite of his limitations, his flaws and mistakes, of which there were many, Paul, with the help of God, became a proficient missionary and church planter, and a wise and accomplished theologian. 

 

Paul says in our Epistle, he received many visions and revelations from God. Such great wisdom and success can start to go to your head. 

 

Paul, as an arrogant man, would have worked against the Gospel, by making it all about himself. 

 

But with God humbling him, Paul could function as a faithful servant of Gospel, making His ministry and life all about Christ.

 

And so, for Paul’s own good, and for the sake of the spread of the Gospel, God allowed him to be afflicted with a thorn in his flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me, Paul says.

 

We don’t know exactly what that was, but we know it greatly humbled him.

 

At first, Paul thought it was hindering him in his work as a missionary, so he prayed for God to take it away. 

 

God answered: “No! You’re better with it. Because with it you rely more on Me, and less on yourself.” 

 

“Your pride is less in the way of the power of the Gospel, with this thorn in your flesh to limit and humble you.”

 

God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

 

When it comes to living by our own abilities, or by God’s grace, it’s not even close which is best. God’s grace is the perfect thing to live by.

 

So with Paul we say: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me...

 

… so that I would live, not by my own flawed and selfish power and ambitions, but by God’ benevolent, selfless power, and according to His good and gracious will. 

 

 10 For the sake of Christ, then, Paul says, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

Because then my strength is not me but Christ in me. 

 

So even in my flaws and shortcomings and limitations and inadequacies, of which I have many… 

 

… even in my trials and troubles and adversities and difficulties…

 

… even in the things about me that may look weak and pathetic to the world…

 

… when I live in the grace of God, with humble repentance and faith, with the strength, not of the world in me, but the Holy Spirit in me…

 

… then I can be God’s true and effective servant in the world, courageous to be like Christ, doing deeds of godly love, showing acts of kindness, and speaking bold words of truth.

 

I can’t do it perfectly, I’m a sinner; but with God’s help, I can do it some. But on my own, I can’t do it at all.   

 

Thanks be to God, His grace is sufficient, no matter the thorns or adversity we must bear, or challenges we must face, God’s grace for us is always greater.

 

Finally, I’d like to say a few words on this Patriotic Sunday, as this applies to us as citizens of our free nation.

 

It was through adversity and sacrifice that our free nation was born and developed; and through sacrifice and courage, our free nation has been preserved, and our freedom kept.

 

So let us, with the help of God, and the guidance of His Word, use that freedom to be good and godly citizens of our country… 

 

… praying for all our leaders to be wise and just… 

 

… respecting all who serve us, grateful for all who guard and protect us, and supportive of all who defend our nation.

 

Let us obey and advocate for just laws, that value life and protect all citizens, laws that keep peace and maintain order, and laws that guarantee freedoms for the benefit and the good of all… 

 

… and especially for the freedom to believe, gather around, and share the Word and Gospel of Christ. 

 

Let the Word of God lead and enlighten us in all things. 

No matter the thorns and adversities of life, you have something far more powerful to live by, the all-sufficient grace of God through His Son. 

 

Living free in His grace, may His peace, which passes understanding, guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, who saves us and sets us forever free! Amen.