THE MEANING OF PRICKLY THORN (CORINTHIANS 2l:1-10)  

Pain is not necessarily always bad.  Our lives can become enriched as result of pain.  It is said that works of great artists were created in the midst of painful situations.  Composer Handel wrote his great work, the "Messiah", right before he died after being chased by debtors for several years.  Most of Beethoven's masterpieces were composed after he had gone deaf.  John Milton wrote his representative work, Paradise Lost, after he had gone blind.  Looking at it from a Christian point of view, pain becomes the conduit through which we can gain strength and receive greater grace and blessing from God.

I have bad teeth; in fact, my teeth were weak ever since I was little.  I had to make numerous trips to the dentist, and had to have several of my molars pulled.  If I get even little fatigued, my gums would swell.  A man once told me that a tooth is worth 1 year of your life; based on my personal experience, I whole heartedly agree.  Because my teeth are weak, I often avoid foods that are rich in sugar--such as candy and cookies.  Since last week, I've had some cold symptoms, and my gums and throat eventually swelled up.  Cold symptoms usually go away after a couple of day's bed rest; while I was resting, I got to start thinking about many things, and the words of Paul in Second book of Corinthians, Chapter 12, came to mind.

I have to live with bad teeth for the rest of my life.  But this is not because God loves me less or does not like me; rather, the reason for my weak teeth is according to God's principle, His desire to derive strength and accomplish His work through my weakness.  Big or little, weakness or sickness in parts of our bodies make us humbler.  Humbleness is the most important path through which God can be with us.

When one thinks one is strong, one never depends on God.  As long as one can depend on one's intellect, power, and wealth, one has no apparent reason to rely on God.  However, it is when we feel that we lack something in our lives, or we feel the frailty of our existence, we start relying on God.  Hence, the pain, the feelings of dearth and weakness, are all not necessarily bad things; rather, it can become good things in our relation to God.  Because of that weakness we can fully receive God's grace and take a step towards Him.

In Corinthians 2, Chapter 12, Paul speaks of a mysterious experience.  In the Corinthian Church, there were many arrogant people.  They refused to recognize Paul's discipleship; they only boasted of their own knowledge and personal experiences.  To these people, Paul mentions his mysterious experience of 14 years ago.  This mysterious experience was so rare--and precious--that it was not for any ordinary man to experience.  

In today's scripture, Paul speaks of being taken to the third heaven.  There, he came to visions and revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Towards the arrogant Corinthians, Paul speaks of this incredible experience that he had 14 years ago.
However, in verse 5, Paul states that "of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities."  The infirmities that Paul refers to is the thorn of the flesh, from the messenger of Satan who is sent to torment him.  

The meaning of thorn of the flesh, the Satan's messenger, has caused great debates among Bible Scholars; there are many definitions as to what this means.  Some believe that this thorn might be visceral disease, such as glaucoma or headache, contagious disease like malaria, migraine, speech impediment, and such--in sum, disease of the body.  Other scholars argue that when Paul used the word flesh, he meant both the mind and the body of a person; therefore, this thorn of the flesh, they argue, also includes spiritual ailments--such as depression, fear of death, or guilt associated with persecution of Christians before converting to Christianity.

I have read many books that covered this topic, but could not find a universally common explanation as to what this thorn of the flesh might be.  However, the scholars were in agreement regarding important issue regarding this topic.  Most have stated that the important issue is not the type of disease or ailment that Paul was suffering from; rather, the core issue is the reason why Paul had to live with this prickly thorn in his flesh for the rest of his life.  Why did Paul have to live with this thorn, from Satan himself, in his flesh for the remainder of his life?

First, it was to keep Paul from becoming too arrogant.  Becoming arrogant means having an inflated sense of self-worth.  In verse 7, Paul states, "and lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in th flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure."  God dislikes spiritual arrogance.  

We gain spiritual experience through God's grace; without God, we cannot even think of experiencing such events.  Even though we may have had many spiritual experiences, we must always glorify God and become humble within our Lord.  Not only does He dislike spiritual arrogance, but God dislikes all types of arrogance.  It is said that God will cast out those who are arrogant and reward His humble servants.  In the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16, verse 18, it is stated:  "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  Saying that there is a piercing thorn in our flesh means that there is God's deep intent to have us remain humble while we hold God in reverence.

Second, the thorn of Paul is God's intentions to have him pray.  The pain of this piercing thorn was so great that Paul had to pray.  In verse 8 of today's scripture, Paul states, "concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me."  Three times does not mean numerical three that we often associate with number 3; for Hebrews, three is a complete number--therefore, it means that Paul has offered up prayer more than humanely possible to God.  It may mean that Paul offered 40 days of fast and prayer three times, or 100 days of prayer three times.  

The important fact is that this great pain from the thorn probably caused Paul to offer prayer in the humblest of manner.  People often offer ernest and desperate prayer when they are faced with problems that cannot be solved.  In California, there are frequent earth quakes.  Once a tremor hits, the number of people in a congregation often swells and the sound of prayer becomes more desperate.  So the pastors in California often joke, "God, shake it lightly once in a while, but not too hard."  Everyone needs that occasional jolt to come to their senses and pray.  Do you have a thorn in your flesh, the messenger of Satan?  Consider that the deep intention of God, to keep you humble and pray to God earnestly.  
Third, and lastly, the thorn of Paul is designed to complete, or fulfill, God's strength in weakness.  In verse 9, Paul states, "and He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  

The surprising truth that Paul was to glean from the thorn in the flesh is that when we become weaker due to the thorn piercing our flesh, God's strength and abilities will be bestowed upon us to make us stronger.  God's strength and abilities will never come to rest within us as long as we hold and rely upon our own abilities, pride, and intellect.  It is when we become weak and humble that God will visit us, to fulfill us with His overflowing strength.  There are times when I, as the pastor, face tribulations in leading this congregation.  Every time, I pray, "God!  This is not my congregation, but your congregation.  Please give us your help and your guidance."  Through those prayers, I gain strength and energy.

Although Paul did not specify the nature of the thorn that was piercing his flesh, each and every one of us has similar thorns in our own flesh.  Transgressions in the past, the disease we are to carry for the rest of our lives, are few examples of the thorn that we must carry within our flesh.  The truth is that these thorns are required in our flesh.  It is because these thorns make us humble and bestow upon us the right and proper attitude to approach and pray to God.  

This is why Paul, in verse 10, states, "therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ's sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Because we have weaknesses, because we have dependencies, we are able to rely and depend upon God; and this allows God's strength and abilities to be granted to us.

In one place in Africa, one must carry a large stone when crossing a river.  Due to the swiftness of the current, one will get washed down stream if one does not carry a heavy rock.  Therefore, every time someone crosses the river he or she carries a boulder on their back to keep from getting washed down the river.  Even through the boulder is heavy and cumbersome, the boulder allow them to ensure their survival.  God gave each and every one of us a thorn, a boulder to bear.  

The thorn, or the boulder, harass and inflict pain upon our minds and our bodies--but it is necessary, and that is why God gave it to us.  We must not try to remove this thorn from our flesh; rather, we must think about the meaning, about the purpose behind this thorn, and be thankful for its intent and with a humble attitude, live with the thorn in our flesh.  Rather than trying to put down the boulder, we must pray to God to allow us to safely cross the dangerous river with the boulder.  Thorn is prickly, and the pain is often unbearable; we must remember that because of this thorn, we can humbly approach God.  Even though the rock is heavy, we must remember that only by bearing the heavy rock can our spirits survive.  Whenever I am weak, I am strong.  This is one truth that we must never forget.  Amen.