When you have nothing left but God, perhaps for the first time, you begin to realise that God is enough. 

Today’s readings have several themes that could be explored but the one that stands out for me this week is that in some remarkable way, God’s power is made perfect in weakness. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he refers to a ‘thorn in the flesh’ that he has begged God to remove. Theologians over the years have speculated about the exact nature of that thorn in the flesh: possibly a skin disease, or epilepsy, maybe depression or an addiction of some kind. The writer doesn’t specify, and maybe that is because we all have a ‘thorn’, something in our psychology or physiology that we wish could go away, and perhaps by not being specific, the Epistle writer is inviting us to identify with Paul and his struggles. 

Unlike the apostles. Paul did not have a direct experience of the human Jesus. He did have a powerful spiritual experience of Jesus which completely changed his life.  Let’s just recap that remarkable and transformational story. 

Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee in Jerusalem after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, who persecuted the early Christians and swore to wipe out the new Christian Church, known at that time as ‘The Way’ and who experienced a radical conversion in his life. Acts 9:1 says that this conversion happened on the road to Damascus, where Saul encountered the risen Christ and was blinded for three days. His companions led him into Damascus where for three days he remained blind and didn’t eat or drink. Meanwhile, Jesus appeared in a vision to a disciple in Damascus called Ananias and told him to go to Saul. Ananias was afraid because he knew of Saul’s reputation, but Jesus repeated the request telling Ananias that he had a purpose for Saul and that he was sending Ananias. So Ananias found the house where Saul was staying and he laid hands on him,  telling him that Jesus had sent him to restore his sight, and something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He was baptized into the Christian faith and after his conversion, he changed his name to Paul. 

In today’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul refers to this conversion in the third person, though it is clear he is describing his own experience. He doesn’t want to boast about having had this remarkable experience because he considers that he is to point the way to Christ, not to himself. He therefore refers to his extraordinary experience in an indirect way so as not to put attention on himself. Furthermore, he considers that the reason that God has not removed his obstacle, his ‘thorn in the flesh’, is to help Paul to know his dependence on Christ. And here we have the central message of this story, that we need God: “my grace is enough for you, my power is made perfect in weakness”. 

That’s hard to take in isn’t it. None of us really want to be perceived as weak. We all try to present ourselves to the world as strong and capable, as someone who has it pretty much ‘together’. Deep down though, we know the truth about ourselves and so does God. And this is good news because the message here is that not only are we acceptable to God with our flaws and weaknesses, but God’s grace can work through us and in us, exactly as we are. Jesus wasn’t very interested in those who thought they knew it all, thought they had it together. Jesus chose followers who were flawed and weak, and who most definitely did not have it together. Time and time again he invited people to be his followers who would be the last person you would expect. And here we see Paul, another unlikely person, but God’s choice. 

In choosing to not say too much about his own transformational spiritual experience, Paul is also making a distinction between personal prayer and the prayer of the whole church. Our individual prayer life is very important and it nurtures what we bring to the community, but it is exactly that, our own personal experience. We are as church, called collectively to be the Body of Christ in this time and place, God’s ‘boots on the ground’ in the continuation of his mission.  

This is a collective, not an individual calling, and this message continues to be presented in Mark’s Gospel as the apostles are sent out in twos and given clear instructions for their journey. They are to travel lightly, be ready to move on, and not to worry about ‘results’, they are simply to proclaim the message. There is nothing grandiose about this, but a call to a simple journey and mission, and no guarantee of success. In fact, they are given instructions about what to do if their message is not well received: they are to shake the dust from their feet and move on!  The Gospel tells us that Jesus himself was not understood in his hometown, not even by his own family. So, our task is not necessarily to be successful, but to be faithful, to understand that we are not God, but that we are deeply loved by God and acceptable to God exactly as we are right now. Not only can God work through our flaws and weaknesses, but they prefer it, it is where they do their best work!  In the words of my favourite prayer: “Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine”.  Amen

 

 

 

 

 

Ministries
Faith in Formation