Twin City church of Christ Blog
“July 4, 2024 - Celebrating Weakness”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsCelebrating Weakness
Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Since the Corinthians are enthralled with boastful pretenders to spiritual authority, Paul feels compelled to answer them in kind, with one exception: “if I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness”(2 Cor 11:30). His “boasting” highlights how inadequate he is for the task Jesus has given him. “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven”(2 Cor 12:2). Paul is unwilling to even admit that this happened to him, preferring to call himself a nameless “man in Christ”(see also v. 5, 7). Yet he has received a tremendous vision of the domain of God and “heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter”(2 Cor 12:5). Paul receives a life-altering vision and revelation.
Yet even as this sounds like a sincere boasting, Paul adds a fascinating wrinkle. “So to keep me from being 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”(2 Cor 12:7). Paul is weak; there is potential that he will grow proud because of what he has seen. Satan sends him a thorn in his flesh—some physical ailment to torment him—and Jesus refuses to remove it (2 Cor 12:8). Why? “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is make perfect in weakness’”(2 Cor 12:9). Jesus’ power shines most where our power fails. So Paul is “content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong”(2 Cor 12:10). If weakness gets me closer to Jesus, bring on the weakness.
We tend to despise weakness. We ridicule it in others and downplay it in ourselves. Paul teaches us a different perspective. When we feel strong, we feel little need for Jesus. As humiliating and frustrating as it is, our weakness connects us more strongly to the power of Christ. Christians celebrate weakness and allow it to drive us to the throne of Christ for strength and help.
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One Thing to Think About: Is there a difference between celebrating weakness and refusing to grow?
One Thing to Pray For: The courage to embrace my weakness and dependence on Jesus
