“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Cor 12:8
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of “a thorn in
the flesh” that he has begged the Lord to remove, to no avail. Paul doesn’t
spell out exactly what he is struggling with, but the Lord answers, “My grace
is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul must rely
on God’s strength and not his own, because Satan is defeated only by the power
of God. Paul is happy to bear this
“thorn” along with all the suffering, persecutions, insults, and hardships he
has faced for the sake of Christ, knowing that he will never be overcome if he
trusts in the power of God.
The Lord’s answer can provide hope to all of us when we’re
struggling with thorny issues in our own lives. At those times when we are
trying to accomplish something and failing, despite trying with all our
strength, this reassuring message reminds us to lean on God’s strength and not
our own, because it is only through His power that we can do anything at all.
When we fix our eyes on the Lord and plead for His mercy, as
the psalmist says, everything is possible. Turn to God and trust in His power.
The Lord is not always going to make things easy for us, and He may not take
away the obstacles and challenges we face, but He is always willing to work
miracles of grace in our lives if we have faith in His power and mercy.
In today’s Gospel, just the opposite happens. When Jesus
visits His own hometown, his neighbors, who knew Him as a carpenter, refuse to
believe in His power. Their lack of faith prevents them from receiving the
miracles of healing and grace that Jesus desires to bestow on them. We, on the
other hand, have the advantage of knowing the truth about Jesus: that He is God
Incarnate, all powerful and all loving. When we are weak, we know we can trust
in His infinite strength and depend on Him to care for us.
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