So 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. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Cor 12:7-9
This passage has always intrigued me. The mystery of Paul's affliction is the question that does not have a clear, concise answer in the bible. Many theorize a vision problem caused by disease. It could be epilepsy, Malta fever, or simply something we have never heard of and will continue to ponder. We know he had a helper, Tertius, writing for him, which strengthens the vision problem, but still there is no clear, 'I can't see', or 'I am having seizures' moment in the bible.
Why not? Paul was not afraid to share. He was fearless in the pursuit of sharing the gospel and it's saving power. Why not let people know he was struggling with something he could not overcome? Well, it's not completely accurate that he did not share. The passage above counts as sharing, but not the kind of sharing I do when something hurts. He's bragging about the gift of this affliction. Not the way rednecks brag, "look at this scar I got from falling off my roof" bragging, but look at what God has given me to demonstrate the gospel is more important than the inconvenience of a human body.
I think it is masterful, better written Master-full, that we don't know what the exact issue was. If it was specific we would lose the opportunity to see God's blessings for us. When I think about what kind of affliction Paul was working through to spread the gospel, I naturally make it something I can relate to. He must be struggling with his past sins. He must be struggling with a blood clot. He must be struggling with pride. God must be punishing him for...
Hold it, it's not a punishment. It's a resting place for the power of Christ. It is an honor.
There are pastors that preach the prosperity gospel that protects you from pain and suffering. In fact, if you do not have enough faith, that prosperity can be hard to come by. If you do not believe and give enough, your burden will never be lessened. God punishes those that do not do enough.
Paul is teaching us through his affliction. Just as we see the blessings as gifts from God, the afflictions are blessings as well. They are resting place for Jesus to demonstrate His power, His love and His grace. We all hear about the super model that cannot get a date; the rich man that cannot buy what he really wants; the funny comedian that is tortured inside. Afflictions that can lead to a search for something that fills the void each share. A resting place for the grace of Jesus.
The wealthy Christian can have the same affliction as the wealthy non-believer, but the believer allows for Christ to rest in the suffering they carry. The woman that struggles with their image can let Jesus rest in their fears. The believer on the stage can let Jesus rest in their anxiety and stress of purpose. Paul did not want the affliction. He prayed three times for it to be taken away. Three times. Three. The number of divine completeness...Paul was a smart guy and the Bible is God breathed. You think that is a coincidence? Neither do I.
Paul knew that the answer to his request was complete and after three times praying (and I believe they were sincere, emotional cries) for relief, he realized the only relief he would have is through the blood of Jesus and the promise of eternal peace and a new body in the presence of his Savior. We are all sinners. We all have afflictions. The biggest is our eternal position with God. When Jesus died on the cross and was raised (wait for it) three days later, we were blessed with the opportunity to let Jesus rest in our lives, justifying our position with God and sanctifying our relationship throughout our time on this earth. We are still sinners, we still repent for the failure of our flesh. It can be a heavy burden and to each of us it can be a different circumstance, but it is all sin. But we as believers have Christ resting in our lives, continuing the growth and His purpose to spread the gospel. In our failure, His ministry relates to those trapped in their sin. In weakness, His truth allows a light that shines on the void in a person's life where Christ can rest in them. In our afflictions, physical, mental, emotional, His ministry is a beacon.
Paul knew this and as a human, just as Jesus asked to be relieved of His burden, Paul asked too. After three prayers for relief, Paul accepted his affliction as a resting place for God's grace. His ministry is so much stronger to me because knowing he was afflicted in a way that must have been noticeable, he still endured beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, snake bites and the tremendous wear and tear of travel. This includes the debates with leaders and those that would wish him dead. Through all of this, his acceptance of God's gift was not the end of his pain, but rather a beacon to those he encountered. Couldn't he just stop preaching? He's been beaten viciously. He's been in prison, yet he still talks about the wonderful peace and grace of Jesus. He offers his enemies this grace. He gives his all to demonstrate the love of Jesus through all of his suffering and he receives more suffering.
I have never been bitten by a snake. I have never been in a shipwreck. We can mark prison and lashes of the list as well. But my personal afflictions are real. The ones that I can use to keep me from sharing the gospel exist. My past, my pain, my insecurity are all there to give me an "out". Or, they can be an in for the grace of Jesus. When Jesus enters you life, it's not just your heart, it's every part of your body, mind and spirit. He is living in you within the grace and justification of a merciful God. He can rest in your affliction and His power can strengthen you to see past the moment of discomfort and through to the glory of our eternal life. Moreover, others will see past your affliction and see the light of grace that shines from you.
Ernest Hemingway said, "We are all broken, that's how the light gets in."
I think Paul was saying, We are broken, that's how the light gets out.
