2 Corinthians 12:1-10
1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-- God knows. 3 And I know that this man-- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When God called Paul to be His apostle, He came to him with a complete revelation of His Word. In an instant God revealed everything to Paul that has been revealed. In a single encounter Paul learned everything that we can know about God in this life and was given access to things that we will only know about God in the life to come. Such a vast knowledge of God could have easily led to Paul becoming conceited and boastful. But along with this revelation God gave Paul a reminder of his weaknesses and of his dependence upon God’s grace. For the rest of his earthly life, Paul was troubled by this “thorn” … and challenged to share in human language the inexpressible things that he witnessed and knew.
There were many people before Paul who were called by God to proclaim His Word. They were also challenged with expressing the inexpressible. Their work as God's spokesmen was difficult and met with resistance and rejection. God knew that their work would be challenging and that their message would not be well received. But He wanted people to know His Word of promise, even if they would not take it to heart. When He called Ezekiel to go to the Israelites and proclaim His Word to them, God told him that they would not listen. Nonetheless, He sent Ezekiel to tell them that they had been “obstinate and stubborn” and that they had rebelled against God. Ezekiel's message was a call to repentance to people who loved to sin and had no use for God. More than an unpopular message, the word that Ezekiel was called to share with the Israelites was inexpressible. How could he tell them what God had made plain to him? What human words could convey the truth and power and grace of God?
At one time the whole world was held captive by sin. We were all "obstinate and stubborn." We loved to sin and we had no use for God. Whether we knew it or not, we were tormented by all kinds of “messengers of Satan” and enslaved by the deceptive message of Satan. Bound by his lies, we were spiritually dead to God. Knowing that no human words could convey His inexpressible message of love, forgiveness, and new life, God sent His Word in the flesh to live among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Only He could fully express the inexpressible love and grace and mercy of God. Sadly, He was turned away by those who were bound by sin and death and unbelief, even in His home town.
The inexpressible love of God has been expressed in your life. Through God’s Word joined to water, you have been set free from the bondage of sin and death and given a new life in Christ Jesus. In the inexpressible mystery of His Holy Supper, you are refreshed with His very body and blood. By the power of His Spirit working through His written Word, you are growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God. And by that same Spirit you have been empowered to express the inexpressibly good news that, by God's grace expressed in and through Jesus Christ, those who are still captive to sin and death can also be set free by His love.
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