2 Corinthians 12:2-10.                     Power in weakness                                         5/7/15

(2 Cor 12:7-10)  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.

(Ezek 2:3-5)  He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. {4} The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' {5} And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

(Mark 6:1-4)  Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. {2} When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! {3} Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. {4} Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour."

This morning we have before us in these three readings a very powerful message for us here in this country, this parish and for me in particular. I myself have squirmed all week as I have read and re-read these passages in preparation for today. These are hard words for me and for us.

The Old Testament reading speaks of Ezekiel being called as God’s prophet to speak his word to a people who will not listen, and in the Gospel reading Jesus is rejected by his own people. Whilst in the other reading Paul has to put up with his ‘thorn in the flesh; despite the fact that he had been caught up into heaven itself.

What are we to make of this? What is God’s message to us here today?  There is no doubting the fact that it is not an easy time to speak out the Christian faith. We are living in a culture that does not want to listen to God and his Word. Even in the church there are many attempts to disregard what God has clearly said to us in his Word. More and more we a seeing a huge divide in our thinking as to what the Christian faith is all about. So it is not an easy time to speak up with regard to what God has given us clearly in his Word.

But by in large that is our calling. Not just me as pastor, but also you as God’s people are sent out to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.

But he sends us out never the less. Each one of us is called to go out to those we have contact: Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them. Now that is a real challenge. But it is an important one. And it is God’s call to all of us. Whether we think we have the abilities or not; that is the task.

But at the same time the task is simple: to say to the people; ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says. This is what the Bible says. This is what God’s Word says. So it is not what you and I think, or what our society says, but what God himself says: Simply, gently but confidently.  Remember God’s Word is clear and true and is the message and power that we all need in our lives.

A few verses on from there he says; ‘(Ezek 3:17-18)  "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.”

It is not up to us to convince them and change them.  Just tell them simply what God himself tell us in the bible. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. Again we have God’s promises that his word will not come back empty, but will achieve what he sent it out to do. Now that does not always mean that these people will all be brought to salvation. But they will have heard the message and will not be able to make excuses on Judgement Day. Also when they have heard God’s Word we can be sure that the Holy Spirit will use that Word to prick their consciences again and again.

Here remember that Ezekiel was not listened to, as was Isaiah and Jeremiah. In fact they preached for years and years without any change in people’s lives. In fact it was only when they were taken into exile in Babylon that the message finally sank in. Only then did they finally realize that this is what these prophets were saying for years would happen if they did not repent.  And we know that many did at that point and so they were restored back to Jerusalem.

Also remember that in our Gospel reading we were told that Jesus himself was not listened to and heeded; and that people were offended by him and his message and even the fact that he performed miracles. So we are in good company. But the call still is: to say to the people; ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

Here also remember that Paul too had his weaknesses – his thorn in the flesh – whatever that was – it is possible that it was very poor eyesight. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him. But God said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Paul too had his struggles but is told to get on with the job despite whatever his problem was.

So he says: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 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.

Here I too could boast of great happenings and of lives changed, and I would not be a fool because I would be speaking the truth. But I too will refrain from doing so because I do not want anyone to get the wrong idea, as was Paul. So I will boast not of those things, but of my weaknesses. So that you can see that anything good that occurs is not of me, but of God almighty himself. Time and time again the greatest events in my ministry have also been my very worst: they have been far from a reasonable effort on my part or it has from a human perspective seemed a disaster at the time; but by the grace of God the greatest good has come of it.

But my point is that God works in and through us despite our weaknesses. All we are called to do is to get on with what God has called us to do. No doubt we won’t always do that very well; and no doubt we won’t always reach to the level that some may want or need to hear. No doubt many people will not listen or want to hear what we have to say; but we must say it anyway.

Here we need to also consider what Paul had to say to Timothy. (2 Tim 4:3-5)  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

However I do believe that where people are open to listen, God will speak to them, through that message, despite our weaknesses. Time and time again people have in the past been helped and grown through our speaking and caring. Not because of us, but because it is God’s word and because his Spirit is there at work.

That word that the Spirit works through is God’s Word, the bible – in its entirety.

The Sovereign Lord wants people to hear his simple message of Law and Gospel, so that people can have that certainty of knowing that despite the fact that we are sinners, God loves us and forgives us for Jesus sake, and assures us of eternal life in heaven.

So we won’t shy away from telling people how God expects his people to live; and that we constantly fall short of those expectations. We will warn people about the dangers of approaching God’s Word with the attitude: ‘Did God really say?’ When we depart from God’s ways we will reap troubles, hardship and death on ourselves.

However we will also point out that as a result of our sin, God sought to provide a way out for us. So he sent his Son into our world as a human being so that he could be the sacrifice which takes our sin away. Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sin on himself so that God might forgive us and accept us back into his family for all eternity.

Yes this is God’s call to all of us: say to the people; ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says. This is what needs to be said whether people want to listen or not. This is what we need to say whether we have our weakness or thorns in the flesh; for God says: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Then may all glory and honour go to our great God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish