The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 304

U1e bird e~capes ; he cracks the shell, but lost>s the kernel," 3. As allowed by God. God's hRnd was in it as well as Satan's. This is so with all our tribulationR • in ono aspect they e.re messengers of Sat&n, in the other messengers of God. All' depends upon which 'l'TUJssage we listen to. •Paul's thorn in the flesh was God's teacher of h~mility. Th~re was danger that _th_e extraordinary i:evelation~ made to the apostle might ~oster pride. Huma.n nature 1s mtensely susceptible to ·this temptation. 'l.'hose who enJoy remarkable favours often experience remarkable affliction, 'l.'he ship in the high wind needs plenty of ballast. When we build high we must also build low-tho lofty building requires a deep foundation. It is well for us that God is not merely indulgent. God will not allow us to become spoilt children, II. TnE APOSTLE'S RESTLESSNESS UNDER TllE AFFLIOTION. Paul was very human. ' He would not have been so could he have borne this additional trouble with indifference, Remember his other troubles. If this special aftliction seemed likely to hinder his Jifo. work, how keenly would be feel it I 'Tis hard to dance in chains. Heavy labour tries the heal thy ; how exceedingly burdensome to the sick I • Yet he did not grumble or . make himself a nuisance, or find fault with God, or sit down in despair, It was s'aid , of him once, "Behold, he prayeth ; " it may be said of him again. Ill. HIS PRAYER. 1. In his distress he betook lii=elf, to the mel"cy-seat, Like . Hezekiah, be spread the matter before the Lord, Affliction should drive us to, not , from, God. And we should come to pray, not to complain. 'I'.he- t)lrone of arac.e is sometimes turned into a bar of judgment, at which men• arraign G.od. Wh~n some. strange experience comes upon us we should ask concerning it in the.~udience-chamber. 2. He prayed to the Lord Jesus. This seems evident from ver. 9, ." that, the strenath of Christ may rest upon me." The servant's difficulties may :well be submitted to tho :Master. Christ had directly appointed the apostle; to Christ, ther!lfore, Paul brings his seeming hindrance. Whilst usually we pray to the Father in the.,Name of Christ, . we may at other times pray to Christ himself. 3. He prayed with importunity, There was no mistaking his earnestness. As Christ in Gethsemane pr11,yed " the third time,'' so thrice did this Christ-like apostle knock at heaven's gate. He wei;it on knocking until he got a response. Many in prayer want nothiug, ask nothing, get npthing. Some are so polite that they dread lest they should disturb God, and knock so lightly and daintily that it would require a microphone to make the sound audible. Others ring . and run away. The apostle stood at the gate till he was answered. Such holy boldness delight.; God instead of affronting him. 4. He prayed definitely. (1) For" this thing." . Some pray for everything in general, and therefore get nothing in particular. (2) That it might depart. Here, perhaps, he woot too far. If our troubles were sent ,away, . our best friends might be sent away. The counterpart of "a thorn in the fleph" may . be "grace in the spirit." His a good thing that it does not rest with us to send awil,y , or to retain; we should often send away the good and draw to ourselves the iiijurious, and evil IV. THE ANSWER. L A true amwer,yet not what was loolced/or. (Ver. 9.) Such a prayer, offered in such a manner, was certain of a response, but not of the response anticipated. God often answers our prayers by not answering them. We get what we want, not what we wish. We dictate our prayer; God dictates the ans"1'er. Generally . we do not ask enough-the apostle did not; to take away the thorn was small compared . with sanctifying its presence. To eject the devil's messenger was poor compared with transforming it into a ministerini spirit. 2. A lesson of faith. Paul's faith must transcend his feeling. He must lay hold of Christ with more tenacious grasp; he must . believe that Christ can use this trouble for high purposes. Perhap,s as he l~ol!:ed to. Christ with stronger faith he could realize that, as great purposes wer~ accomphsherl by the manv thorns in the flesh of Christ (he was crowned with thorns), so the one thorn in his fl~h should not prove unfruitful. Grapes might be gathered froµi this tho~n. 3. A definite a6S?J;rance. There was a basis for the faith demanded, as there always is. " My grace is sufficient for thee" (ver. 9). Christ engage11 to bear him through; can he believe this? The Lord's resources are boundless; they are our resources when strong faith binds us to their possessor. My "gr~e" may mean my.". love,•: whi~h secures all things needful for my servants; or the aid of the Holy Spmt, which will prove sufficient for every exigency. 4. An intimation of purpose. 'l'here was no muta,lre in sending or allowing the " thorn in the flesh." Prayer becomes bla.sphemou~ ou. xu.1-21.] 'l'HE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN"'l'HL\NS. 305