(2 Corinthians 12: 1-10)
Sometimes it is so hard not to get a Case of the Big Head. Things are all falling into place, everything is going your way, and you begin to think you can’t do anything wrong. You’re bullet proof, and then whoosh, the rug gets pulled out from under you and you fall flat on your seat for all to see. How humiliating. It can even be more humiliating and ego bruising if you honestly think you’re doing the Lord’s work and don’t check in with him from time to time for a little guidance. You get to feeling full of yourself like you’re someone special and start patting yourself on the back. You’re all puffed up with pride and you never see the fall coming. We’ve all heard that saying: “Pride goeth before the fall” and most folks know it’s somewhere in the Bible. Proverbs 16: 18 says: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before the fall. (King James Version) My NIV Study Bible says: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall, and my Wesley Study Bible, CEB says: Pride comes before disaster, and arrogance before a fall. I like the CEB, Common English Bible, as it puts verses in a language I can more easily understand. You see, all this time I thought the King James Version meant that it was your pride that went south before you hit the floor. Your pride gets bruised, shattered, and in overwhelming humiliation, you take an embarrassing fall. That’s not it al all. What it means is that you’re out there doing your thing in full belief that what you’re doing is God ordained, but you can’t see the error of your ways due to your enormous pride and ego blocking your view of the pathway ahead. Your pride gets in your way blurring and obscuring your vision, and sooner or later you get a hard, but well-deserved, lesson in humility.
And it’s that pride that gets in our way preventing us from truly serving God that I think the Apostle Paul is talking about in our scripture reading for this morning. Paul knew a little bit about pride. When Jesus’ ministry was picking up momentum and the masses were beginning to flock to him the Pharisees sat up and took notice. Paul was a young up-and-coming Pharisee with a bright future ahead of him and we can assume that he was probably one of the many Pharisees that followed Jesus around trying to trap him and derail his ministry. And I have no doubt that Paul was there for Jesus’ trial and witnessed the crucifixion. We also know Paul was present and held the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen. And it was Paul who was authorized to go out from Jerusalem looking for Followers of the Way who had fled the persecution. Paul’s first humiliation, prideful fall, came on the road to Damascus when he was blinded and Jesus asked him why he, Paul, was persecuting him. Paul had to be led by the hand to the home of a disciple before his sight was restored. And after his conversion and he started his ministry he suffered numerous humiliations such as beatings, being stoned, run out of cities, angry mobs, starvation, and other indignities. He knew something about humiliation and staying humble in his service to his Savior.
In today’s reading he starts out by saying: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. Paul’s actually talking about himself and he’s describing a near-death experience where he ascended to the third heaven where God himself lives. There’s a lot of speculation as to what experience Paul was referring to and some believe it may have been when he himself was stoned and left for dead in Acts 14: 19, 20. He says: And I know that this man, whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows, was caught up to paradise. We’ve heard people tell of those near-death experiences, going to heaven, seeing a bright light, being bathed in warmth, and coming back to life. My dad, when seriously injured, described such an experience happening to him when he was a young man. He didn’t say he had a one-on-one with God, but Paul did. He says: He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. Can you imagine that? Paul gets a one-on-one with God where God tells Paul he is going to tell him some things, things he can’t tell another living soul. Keep it to yourself and it will all be revealed in good time. So Paul says he will boast about a man like that, but not about himself, except to talk about his weaknesses. He won’t boast about this experience so that no one will think more of him than is warranted by what he does or says in service to Jesus Christ.
Then the Apostle says: To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given to me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. So, apparently after Paul had this experience where he had been caught up in the third heaven, he became afflicted with some sort of ailment or disability we don’t know the specifics that has been speculated about by many. If Paul thought it was important enough for us to know what it was, he would have told us. It wasn’t relevant, and all he wanted us to know was that it served him as a constant reminder. Apparently, it greatly concerned him as he tells us that he pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from him. I know we can identify as we’ve all probably experienced something like this where we’ve prayed to God to heal us or grant us peace, and God’s answer has been yes, no, or not yet. Paul’s probably thinking that if he didn’t have this debilitating affliction he could do so much more, but God said to him: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Paul accepted God’s answer and said: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul received far greater things because he received greater grace from God, a stronger character, humility, and an ability to empathize with others. In addition, it benefitted those around him as they saw God at work in his life.
Now that reminds me of the work a woman, I never met, did through the grace of God who labored under an equally great affliction as Paul had and provided an amazing service. I’m speaking of Margaret Matheson who was a beloved member of this congregation who has since passed and entered into her rest. For those who don’t know, Margaret was confined to a wheelchair and getting around for her was difficult at best, and I am sure that she too prayed to God to have her thorn removed, but she also knew that God’s grace was sufficient, and that his power would be made perfect in her weakness. Margaret, I am told, was the driving force behind the establishment of The South Seven Senior apartments that was constructed on church property two decades ago which we now know as Margaret’s Village. God used her and her dogged determination to inspire others to join her in her mission to provide housing to low-income senior citizens. A lesser person would have reasoned that it was God who put them in that chair so why should they do anything for God? Get me out of this chair God and then I’ll go to work, if not, find someone else. And it’s because of Margaret’s indominable spirit that this church understands how important it is for us to throw ourselves into God’s service, and is why when I brought the Peter’s Place project up to the Administrative Council they didn’t hesitate, as it was what Margaret would do.
Ever since that experience, these words from the Lord served as Paul’s reason for being when it came to suffering hardships as a minister. And these words that God’s grace is sufficient in showing his power through our weaknesses should also serve as our reason for being and serving as a disciple of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. When we hit a wall, go down a dead-end road, come to a roadblock, we need to turn to God to seek alternate pathways for effective service. We must rely upon God for our effectiveness rather than simply on our own energy, effort, or talent which has its’ limits. With God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit what we can do in his name, in our weakness, is limitless. When we recognize and accept our weakness it not only helps us develop our Christian character, it also deepens our worship, because in admitting our weakness, we affirm God’s strength. It is when we are weak and when we allow God to fill us with his power that we become stronger than we could ever be on our own. Only his power will make us effective witnesses for him and will help us do work that has a lasting value in his kingdom. Work done in our weakness.
Let us pray.
Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please him in all that I do, yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, this is the pathway of blessing for me. Gracious Lord and Savior, use us wherever we are doing each duty in your holy name, willing to suffer affliction or loss, deeming each trial a part of our cross. Keep us humble and move us through your Holy Spirit to draw strength from you as we rise above our weakness to do the Father’s work and His will. Your grace is sufficient, and your power is made perfect in our weakness. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.