Jump Start # 1169

2 Corinthians 12:7 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment men—to keep me from exalting  myself!”

Our passage today is layered with many thoughts. It is the result of Paul seeing the “third Heaven.” The Jews believed in Three Heavens. We don’t use that language. The first heaven was the sky. The second heaven was the solar system, where the stars are. The third heaven is where God was. Jesus taught, “Our Father who art in Heaven.” Jesus did not mean the sky or the stars. The story is told that in the early days of space exploration, some Russian cosmonauts questioned God’s existence because they were up in space and didn’t see Him. God’s not in “space” as they were.

Paul saw THE HEAVEN. He was not sure if this was a vision or if he really went there. Some have tried to connect this to an event in Acts where he was dragged out of a town and stoned and left for dead. Some suggest that Paul actually died. Went to the third Heaven and then came back. Good guess. We don’t know. We must be careful about parking our car in the land of speculations. We can build some mighty tall theories on ideas that may not be true.

While in this third Heaven Paul heard things that it was unlawful for him to repeat. What did he see? Who was there? Did he hear singing? What songs? Paul didn’t repeat any of it. Unlike the dozens of books on the market today of people who claimed to have gone to Heaven and then came back and then wrote a book. Amazing that an apostle couldn’t do it, but just about everyone else can. I put my trust in the Bible, not the words of an eight year old boy who wrote a book.

Now our verse. Paul got to see things that the rest of us can only see after we die. These revelations were called “Surpassing greatness.” Peter didn’t get to see them. John did as he wrote Revelation. The privilege of being shown Heaven could make someone think that he was more special than others. It could make him think that he alone was God’s poster child. It could make him boast. Twice in our verse the expression, “to keep me from exalting myself” is used. Twice. This was the key. God showed but God didn’t want it to change Paul. God didn’t want Paul to be ruined by this experience. Exalting self was a chief concern of God. Wish we felt the same today. We like to strut about and brag to one another. One upping another is common. Go to any high school reunion and the air is thick with bragging and boasting. The book of Proverbs really thumps exalting. It makes us bigger than what we really are and it makes the other guy smaller than what he really is. The exalted heart tends to think that it is above certain rules. It doesn’t have to do what others do. Higher education can lead some to thinking that they are better than others. Some of the finest Christians I’ve ever met, with the purest hearts and the best character, were simple, common people, many of which never went to college. Higher education is important, but it shouldn’t make us “higher” than others.

God was concerned about this. He didn’t need a puffed up apostle. Jesus dealt with that problem while on earth. Twice the apostles fussed about who was the greatest. Why did it matter? Pride. Pride always is thinking about that. It can filter into the church today. Am I the best preacher? Am I the best song leader? There’s not a contest. You won’t get a trophy for being the best. So quit thinking that way. Just be your best and encourage others to be their best. Our egos get us when someone gets more praise than we do. Exalting, pride, arrogance—all of those things will eat at your character and take you down a road that is not pretty. God wasn’t through with Paul yet. There were more places, more sermons and more churches to help. The worst thing was to have an exalted apostle engaged in that business. It’s the opposite of Jesus. The Lord was a servant. On His last days, He washed the feet of the apostles. That’s Jesus. There was no place for a big headed apostle strutting about the world telling others how special he was.

To stop that, to prevent that, God gave Paul a thorn in the flesh. It is called a messenger of Satan.  It was sent to torment Paul. It would keep Paul humble and keep him from exalting.

Everyone has a guess as to what that thorn was. Some suggest physical problems, including poor eyesight, arthritis, heart disease to about every known ailment in the world. Others have suggested depression or other emotional issues. Many ideas. Many thoughts. We are not told. Whatever it was, it was major. Paul was tormented by it. He prayed three times that it might leave him. The answer back from God was NO.

Being tormented would lead Paul to seek God. It would cause him to pray. It would keep him from thinking that he was better than others. It would be the ticket to keep him from exalting.

All of this to get to this thought: Do you think God still does this today? Does God allow or even send things upon His people to keep their character in check? Could it be that some of us are “tormented” with things because God is trying to keep us from destroying ourselves with unhealthy attitudes?

God loved Paul. God wanted Paul to do right. It seems odd that if God cared so much for Paul that He would allow him to be tormented. He would rather Paul be tormented for a while here, and save his soul, than to leave him alone and allow his pride to destroy him. God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. God would do anything to refine and help our souls remain righteous.

A messenger of Satan…a thorn in the flesh…a tormenter—sent to Paul for the sole purpose of keeping him humble.

I wonder what God would need to send to us? What would God need to send to keep us from gossiping? Or, being selfish? Or, being arrogant? Maybe the stuff we go through is there to teach us and help us. It sure is a different way of looking at what happens to us.

God loves you. He wants you with Him. Might He send something ugly your way, just to help you. I wouldn’t put it pass Him. I wonder if we appreciate that or even understand it?

Roger