Day 344: The Thorn in Paul's Side
Acts 23 1-11 The details of Paul’s trials relate closely to the trials of Christ. Both were falsely accused, sent before both civil and religious authorities, and struck in the face by the order of the high priest. What differs markedly is that while Christ said little in his own defense, Paul was quite vocal in the course of his own trials. Christ’s mission was to die for our sins; Paul’s mission was to give witness to the Gospel and die for Christ. (CCC 2473)
Ch 23:5 Nothing here offers a clue as to why Paul did not recognize Ananias as the high priest, but his apology, with its citation from the Jewish code of Law, indicates that he highly respected the authority of the Law. (CCC 1898)
Ch 23:6-10 Paul employed a divide-and-conquer strategy. Realizing that his audience was split between Pharisees (who believed in the resurrection) and the Sadducees (who did not), Paul announced his identification with the Pharisees. The argument that ensued won him some supporters from among the Pharisees. (CCC 993)
Ch 23:12-35 Upon learning of a plot by a large number of Jews to seize and kill Paul, the Roman tribune ordered a change of venue and sent Paul to be tried in Caesarea under the Roman judicial system. (CCC 2242, 2245, 2273)
Ch 23:26-30 The tribune, in his letter to Felix, white-washed the facts in claiming that he initially had saved Paul from being beaten by the mob because he knew Paul was a Roman citizen.
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Speaking of himself in the third person, Paul revealed that he had been granted a vision of Heaven among other supernatural experiences, but at the same time a “thorn” was also given to him by Satan. He accepted this suffering because the power of Christ is perfected in such weakness. It is not clear whether this thorn represented an illness, a disability, the constant opposition he faced, a particular temptation, or some other nagging obstacle. (CCC 1508)
Ch 12:2 The third heaven: Jewish terminology of that day spoke of three levels of the heavens: the first was the atmosphere; the second was the layer that contained the sun and stars; and the third heaven was Paradise, or what we would simply regard today as Heaven. (CCC 326)
Ch 12:9 My grace is sufficient: Rather than remove the thorn, God allowed Paul to experience redemptive suffering and the strengthening grace necessary to endure his pain for his own purification. The personal experience of suffering should prompt the individual to find strength and solace in the heart of Christ. (CCC 268, 273)
Ch 12:11-21 Anticipating his next visit to Corinth, Paul assured the Christians there that he would always put their best interests first and would not be a burden to them. He confessed, though, that he was concerned that many of the people might have slipped back into sinful lives and that the visit might be a sad and contentious one. Some apparently had not repented of their sins and perhaps still supported the false apostles. (CCC 2744)
Ch 13:1-13 In closing, Paul asked the members of the community to examine their consciences and to strive for truth and all that is morally right. (CCC 648)
Ch 13:1 Under the Law of Moses, at least two witnesses were needed to prove an assertion in court. Those who failed to repent would receive a fair trial when Paul arrived.
Ch 13:4 Crucified in weakness: In being arrested, insulted, beaten, interrogated, and finally crucified with little or no self-defense, Christ appeared weak in human terms. Nonetheless, he chose to endure all of that in order to save us from our sins and reconcile us to God. Paul compared himself to Christ insofar as his sufferings won many graces in his work of evangelization and his quest for personal sanctity. (CCC 648)
Ch 13:13 This verse, which is one of the most lucid Trinitarian doxologies in the New Testament, is among the options by which the bishop or priest can greet the congregation at the beginning of Mass. Reconciliation with God and his Church is the starting point for a deeper participation in the life of Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. (CCC 249-256, 685, 734, 1109, 2627)
(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)
So St. Paul is in the Acts of the Apostles Ch 23 once again on the ropes
Here he is once again on trial
We led up to the trial yesterday in Ch 22 before the chief priest and the council
That’s what opens it up
It’s interesting because they included this portion of the story before the council where he snaps back at the high priest
Then they say, “Yo, that’s the high priest!” 😉
And Paul is like, “Ooops. Sorry. I take it back. I didn’t realize you are the high priest.”
This might be a fun little bit of trivia in the sense that this happened while he was in front of the council
BUT…
It could also be a DEEPER LESSON
In St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans Ch 13 he talks about OBEYING THOSE WHO ARE SET OVER YOU
And even St. Paul, in apologizing right away about snapping back at the high priest
Acts 23:5, “...You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”
Yeah, it’s written in the Law to not do that
So St. Paul is demonstrating not only that he has MANNERS
BUT…
St. Paul is also demonstrating that he KNOWS THE LAW
He is before the council which is very preoccupied with the Law
He demonstrates that he has a familiarity and desire to uphold the Law
BUT…
St. Paul gets out of this, once again, by making the argument not so much to get the people to agree with him
As much as he realized, “Hey there are Sadducees and there are Pharisees here. So how about this? How about I get them fighting with each other?” 🤔
And he does!!
He doesn’t lie about it
He says, “I’m on trial because of the Resurrection of the Body or the Resurrection of the Dead.”
And it is VERY CLEVER
WELL DONE, PAUL!!
THAT IS REALLY GREAT!!
So it is Paul’s nephew who usurps the plot to kill Paul
It’s one of those situations that it’s a small detail
BUT…
There is so much about Paul we don’t know
We know that he was unmarried
We know that Paul had a sister
We know that Paul’s sister had at least one son
So maybe here is this son, this nephew of Paul who also is a believer in Lord Jesus
Maybe he wasn’t
But he did work to save Paul’s life
So pretty good on nephew of Paul
Imagine calling him Uncle Paul
WHAT A GIFT!!
Here’s part of the story and not only do brothers and sisters in Christ come to each other’s aid
Even that extended family
Nephews
Nieces
Uncles
Aunts
That kind of situation
Here we are in the family of God
BUT…
Here in Paul’s own family, it is family by blood that he is rescued that day
Now onto the conclusion of 2 Corinthians
St. Paul, once again, gets a little bit SALTY
Remember, he has been criticized at this point
There are some “superlative apostles” who have come along and misled people
St. Paul, as we said yesterday, is JEALOUS
NOT jealous of their attention
BUT…
He is jealous of the HEARTS OF THE CORINTHIAN CHRISTIANS
So St. Paul is doing EVERYTHING HE POSSIBLY CAN to win their hearts back
2 Corinthians Ch 12 is one of Fr. Mike’s favorites in the entire Bible
St. Paul begins by talking about a man he knows
It’s one of those situations where, “Hey, I’ve got this friend and he’s got this rash…”
2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.”
Basically he is talking about HIMSELF
The general consensus is St. Paul is talking about HIMSELF
IT IS HIM
Later on he says 2 Corinthians 12:5, “On behalf of this man I will not boast…”
2 Corinthians 12:7, “And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me”
Ok this other guy 14 years ago had this INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE
This ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
It is BEYOND DESCRIPTION
“And in order for ME to not become too elated….”
So it makes the most sense that it is PAUL that he is talking about
BUT…
The part that is FASCINATING is not just the part that God gave so many revelations
But we don’t know what the THORN IN THE FLESH was
We don’t know if it’s a PHYSICAL AFFLICTION like he’s sick
We know he had problems with his eyes maybe that’s what it was
It could have been a mental illness
It could have been a SIN OR TEMPTATION that he struggled with in his life
It could have been a DEEPER SPIRITUAL WOUND that he just experienced
We just don’t know what it was
BUT...
We DO know that Paul BEGGED THE LORD THREE TIMES to take it from him
And God’s response is INCREDIBLE
Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Sometimes, when we are wrestling with weakness or sin maybe in our lives
Maybe it is a physical ailment
We just want God to TAKE IT AWAY
Sometimes there is that sense, “I want God to take away this temptation. I want God to take away this sin because I don’t want to sin anymore. I don’t want to fail him anymore. I don’t want to break his heart anymore.”
BUT…
Sometimes it’s, “I just want to be done with this so I don’t need to rely upon his grace anymore.”
In some ways, I want this to be over because RIGHT NOW I have to WALK IN FAITH
RIGHT NOW I call out to the Lord EVERY SINGLE DAY
EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY
Saying, “God, please help me take this next step. I want this to be over so I don’t need to rely upon you so much anymore.”
In some ways, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SAYING!!
But Paul got this message from Jesus
“No. My grace is sufficient. It is enough. For my power is made perfect in weakness.”
St. Paul gets SO CONVERTED by this
2 Corinthians 12:9, “I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Now he doesn’t boast in Jesus
He boasts in his weaknesses
2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
For all of us who are part of this community, walking through this world, are we content with weaknesses?
Are we content with insults?
Are we content with hardships?
Are we content with persecutions?
Are we content with calamities?
OR…
Would we say, “No, I still buck against them. I still kick against them. I still rail against them. I still rage against them.”
OR…
Is there a place where we say, “Ok you know what? Ok Lord, it has come to my attention that this is your will for me. That this is what you are allowing in my life. So rather than kick against them, I am going to accept them. Rather than fight against them, I am going to lean into them. And when I lean into them, I’m going to lean into YOU. Into your LOVE and into your MERCY. I’m going to TRUST you.”
So I am CONTENT with weaknesses
I am CONTENT with afflictions
I am CONTENT with calamities
Because IN CHRIST, as St. Paul says, “Because when I am weak, then I am strong.”
WHAT A GIFT!!
To end 2 Corinthians like this
St. Paul still has some SALT for the Corinthians calling them back and pointing out to them that he hasn’t demanded ANYTHING FROM THEM
“I don’t want your stuff. I just want you.”
THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS TOO!!
So often we can be on the defensive against people who would USE us
That’s true
BUT…
We don’t have to be on the defensive AGAINST THE LORD
Because GOD DOES NOT WANT OUR STUFF
GOD JUST WANTS YOU
Today maybe that is what YOU need to hear
The Lord does not want to destroy your life
THE LORD JUST WANTS YOU
The Lord does not want to break your heart
THE LORD JUST WANTS YOUR HEART
Fr. Mike is praying that you give this day to the Lord
Pray for Fr. Mike that he can give this day to the Lord
PRAY FOR EACH OTHER
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much for this. Thank you for this day. Thank you for your Word. We thank you for speaking to us and for pushing us. Thank you for inviting us into our weakness. Thank you for inviting us to a place of humility, to a place where we need to place our trust in you. Help us to put our trust in you this day and every day in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”