The Thorn Remained

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The Bible tells us St. Paul begged God three times to remove his thorn, but the thorn remained. Why? We have all probably begged God to remove some “thorn” or affliction from our life. He often does not. Find out why in today’s message.

It has taken me a lifetime to fully appreciate the story of Paul’s thorn and God’s grace found in 2 Cor 12:7-10. I am now happy to tell you that this passage is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Let me explain why.

We are told that Paul suffered from some type of affliction. The “thorn” is never explicitly defined. Over the years, theologians and scholars have speculated as to the nature of his thorn. All that we know is that Paul seems to have had some kind of physical, emotional, or spiritual trial that he found burdensome. The fact that we do not know what Paul’s “thorn” was helps us to identify our “thorn” with his.

We also know he begged God to remove it. How many times did he do this? You may be inclined to answer three times. While that might be correct, it is more likely that Paul endlessly begged God to remove it. You see, the number three often has symbolic meaning in Scripture. It represents completeness or perfection. By telling us that Paul pleaded with God three times, the Bible is most likely referring to the intensity and earnestness of his request to be freed from this affliction.

I certainly have a few “thorns” in my life that I wish God would remove. Like Paul, I have prayed endlessly for God to remove the “thorns” in my life. As with Paul, God has yet to remove mine. Do you have a “thorn” or two that God has not removed? Why would God allow us to suffer and struggle with these thorns?

Once again, we find the answer in the Bible. There Jesus tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9). This passage reveals important insights about the role of suffering and weakness in the Christian life.

Think about this. If St. Paul, who had been granted extraordinary mystical visions and revelations, was not exempt from struggles and afflictions in his life, why would we think we would be exempt from struggles and trials in our life? No one is immune from suffering in this life, not even the holiest of people.

Paul had the wisdom and understanding to see his thorn not as a curse, but rather as a gift. Paul says his affliction was given to him “to keep me from being too elated” by the greatness of the revelations he had received. In other words, the “thorn” served to keep Paul humble and dependent on God’s grace, preventing him from falling into the sin of pride.

Therefore, hopefully we can all see that the central theme in this passage is that the Lord does not free us from evils, but helps us to mature in sufferings, difficulties and persecutions. Rather than removing our “thorn,” God promises to provide the grace necessary for us to endure it.

This message can be challenging to our faith. Our natural inclination is to want to be freed from all pain and struggle. Paul gives us a great example with his radical acceptance of weakness and suffering. He declares that he will all the more gladly boast of his weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon him. Instead of seeing his affliction as a liability, Paul embraces it as a means of experiencing God’s power and grace in a deeper way.

Can you and I do the same thing? Even our most fervent prayers do not always result in a healing of physical infirmities or a removal of our trials. We must begin to see that our sufferings, when united to Christ’s suffering on the cross, can have a redemptive value for our good and the good of the whole Church. Our trials, when embraced with faith, can become a source of profound spiritual consolation and an opportunity to experience God’s sustaining grace.

Paul’s experience reveals to us that true strength and power in the Christian life are not found in our own abilities or accomplishments, but in our humble reliance on God’s mercy.

I have learned a great deal, and my faith has grown as a result of my “thorns.” Since my thorns remain, I have had to learn to trust in the mercy of God. As a result of Paul’s story, my prayer is that we can all begin to understand the transformative role of suffering and weakness in the Christian life. My hope is that Christians everywhere will see that they are called to embrace their “thorns” as opportunities to experience God’s sustaining grace and to participate in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. We must always remember that Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

Heavenly Father, I trust that you always have my best interest at heart. You have chosen to not remove the thorns in my life. Grant me the wisdom to embrace my thorn as as a gift like Paul embraced his. Help me to never rely on my strength but on the grace of Jesus your Son. Help me to unite my sufferings to His sufferings on the cross. Amen!

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 AMDG

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Brian Pusateri

Brian is a Christian author and speaker. Brian, a lifelong Catholic, felt his life was forever changed when God spoke to his heart while attending an eight day silent Christian retreat in November of 2011. Soon after that retreat Brian founded 4th Day Letters and Broken Door Ministries. With the God inspired message of mercy and unconditional love that was placed on his heart during that retreat, Brian has been impacting others all over the country and around the world with his weekly letters, his talks, and his all day Christian retreats. In June of 2014, Brian’s life was again impacted in a very dramatic way when his eyesight suddenly became permanently impaired. The initial diagnosis was Multiple Scleroses (MS) but in December of 2019 the diagnosis was corrected to MOG antibody disease, a rare neurological disease. This health challenge has only served to draw Brian closer to God and bolster the importance of this timely yet ageless message.

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