What’s Your Thorn?

As long as I can remember, there has always been a lot of speculation about what Paul’s thorn was…the source of struggle for Paul, so severe, that it caused him to ask the Lord three times to please remove it from his life.

Some say, it was whatever disease that affected his eyesight.

Some suggest, it was the severe opposition of an antagonist…and Paul had many.

Some suggest, it was a bad marriage.

But all the speculation as to the identity of the “thorn” is unnecessary and misses the point.

The point Paul is making, that applies to everyone of us, is the absolute necessity of living in the awareness of human weakness.

NOT weakness as in sin.

Weakness as in lack of capacity.

Lack of capacity due simply to the limitations of being human…yet trying to affect eternity in our lives and the lives of those around us. Lack of capacity to do what God has called us to do in this life. No wonder Paul cries out,  “Who is sufficient for this task?” (2 Corinthians 2:16)

So, in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul’s awareness of his lack of capacity, for the tasks in front of him, were amplified by whatever the thorn was that God allowed in his life.

It almost seems as if Paul would have been plagued by arrogant self confidence without the thorn.

After all, his academic achievements were amazing.

His track record of successful ministry would have been the envy of his colleagues.

His resume so impressive!

And on top of all that, divine revelations!

So, instead of answering Paul’s prayer to remove the thorn, God tells him the thorn isn’t going anywhere but that God’s Grace would help him deal with the thorn.

Then we learn the reason behind the thorn and the consequent self-awareness in Paul of his human limitations.