2002.12.29. Rev. Young Jin Cho

"Abundance in God's Grace"

2Corinthians 12:1-10

If you have to choose the most frequently used word in Christian's life might be the word "Grace." The word "Grace" is used repeatedly and broadly. "Blessing," "Blessed" and "Gospel of Grace" are the words go hand in hand in Christian's life.

The word "Grace" originally has the meaning pleasure and cheerfulness. Sometimes it is used to convey kindness and favor. The one person who has expanded the meaning of the word "Grace" in depth and width might be the disciple Paul. Paul introduced "Grace" as the distinction and the core of Christianity. This "Grace" came with the birth and the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a word, it means the unmerited favor and love of God - The amazing and unconditional love in spite of our incompetency.

But sometimes, we doubt this amazing God's grace and love in our journey of life. When we face the reality of life's trials and hardships, we often question his grace and love. Does God really love me? How could this be if he is graceful God? How could this pain and suffering happen if he loves me?

When the tragedy strikes, when the troubles begin knocking at our door, when the sickness and the pain visit us unexpectedly, we question. And when we can not solve all these, we question. When the pain and suffering mount as the time goes by. When the courage and the strength to overcome weaken. When there is no answer for our prayer. We feel as though God has abandoned us in dead silence.

I

Today's scripture 2 Corinthians 12 has this moment of suffering as the backdrop. The scripture 12:1 through verse 5, Paul tells us of the vision and revelation in the third heaven. He experienced the amazing grace in the third heaven. Through his in the body or out of the body experience, he heard inexpressible things that man is not permitted to tell.

But there is other side that contrasts to the out of the body experience. That is the thorn in Paul's body. People who study Bible presume that the thorn in his body might have been epilepsy. Some presume that he had problems with his eyes based on his experience on his journey towards Damascus where he became blind and scales fell after meeting the Lord. Anyhow, Paul had a disease or the pain that stung like the thorn in his body.

Paul truly was the able servant. He healed so many sick people and showed God's power in his journey of spreading the gospel of good news. He healed so many sick in Ephesus that people even took his apron and handkerchief that he wore to the beds of sick people. But Paul who showed amazing power could not do anything about his own disease. Three times, he pleaded with the Lord to take it away. He pleaded, pleaded and pleaded. But the answer was out of his expectations. The thorn that tormented his flesh was not taken out. But the Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

What do you think about the Lord's answer? He didn't even heal Paul's disease and yet said his grace was sufficient. Is it so? How could his grace be sufficient when he could not heal Paul's disease? What is so sufficient? Can you agree with Paul's confession? In what way, was God's grace sufficient?

II

Today's scripture reminds us of God's strong and profound grace towards us. A lot of times, we only think of the cure for the disease a God's grace. We only think of God's grace as solving one's problems, recovering from bad health and the recovering from failed business. Of course the grace could come in the form of healing and recovering. His profound love and grace can heal and solve and recover all things. But are these only things that define grace? If there still exist the diseases, problems and sufferings, is God's grace forsaken us? Has God's grace turn his back on us?

Today's scripture has the clear message. "No" to all those. Today's scripture tells us God's grace is sufficient even if we are not cured, even if we are full of problems and even if our business does not recover. Like the prophet Habakkuk, though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall, yet we will rejoice in the Lord, we will be joyful in God our Savior. We can rejoice. Though the business does not recover, though the disease still exists, though the problems still linger and though our grown children still go the wrong way, his grace does not change. Times like this, we need to taste his grace evermore, like the disciple Paul did.

I would like to talk to you about this in detail. What meaning does it hold when the very thorn still pierce through our flesh and yet God says his grace is sufficient? In what way, is God's grace sufficient and abundant?

(1) First, the moment of suffering and pain is not the moment that we are cut off from his grace and that's why the grace is sufficient. A lot of times, when we face the hardships in our journey of life, we feel as though God has abandoned us. We feel as though we are cut off from his grace. Is this so? If we get sick, has God forsaken us? If we fail our business, has God put away his graceful hand on us? Has God's grace left us if we lost our jobs?

No. God's grace is not that capricious. God's love does not work that way. It's not that light. It does not change by the feeling. God's grace is based on God's existence. What kind of god is our God? The Bible shouts. He showed us. He is love. He is bound to love us. Because he is "love". God's grace is based on this love and that's why it does not change. It's not that capricious. The grace is continuous. It's still the same. Not only his grace sufficient in times of success, it is also sufficient in times of failure. It is also sufficient in times of sufferings and the pains. Our God said, his grace is sufficient when Paul pleaded three times.

(2) Secondly, there is reason for sufficient grace. That is because, even though he does not cure the disease or stop the pain, he gives us the strength to overcome them.

His grace can cure the disease, but the sufficient grace is in the presence at the strength to overcome. It is his grace to cure but it is also his grace to grant us the strength to overcome. There is an elder that I remember whenever I think about grace. He was doctor Lee Kyu Tak who passed away of liver cancer long time ago. He was the father of deacon Lee Jong Ho and was renowned pathologist in his study of arteriosclerosis. He was a man of good character who enjoyed golf and horse back riding. He came to Washington after his retirement.
He found out about his advanced cancer while teaching at the medical school in Ko Shin University in Pusan, Korea. His cancer was advanced so much that he could not be operated on it. It was about that time that he opened up to God's grace. One afternoon in thanksgiving week in George Washington hospital, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and was baptized. In his pain, he put best effort on his school as well.

It was about two days before his death, when I visited him, he was fighting to control his pain with the painkiller. We read the Bible and prayed and that's when he asked me to repeat. We read again and prayed again. He said: "Rev. Cho, I am so happy." I will never forget this moment. What kind of state was he in? Wasn't he in the state of total pain in his last stage of cancer? But "I am so happy" was his last word. He was not happy because he was cured. He was happy because he was in the state of God's grace beyond the pain and suffering. I am reminded and refreshed by the God's grace every time I look at that piano in this worship hall dedicated by his family. I am reminded of God's grace in spite of.

(3) Thirdly, there is reason for sufficient God's grace though the thorn in the flesh has not been removed. The thorn is not totally useless. It brings usefulness.

In today's scripture, Paul shouts, realizing the God's grace even in the thorn in his flesh. Though the thorn still is there in his flesh. He shouts, I will now boast about my weaknesses. 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.

That is amazing grace. That is amazing realization. In Christ, everything works together to bring usefulness. Not only the good things. Everything. In Christ, the failure, hardships, pain and the diseases bring usefulness. In Christ, he changes everything and brings everything to its usefulness. Isn't this grace sufficient?

In Psalms 119;71-72 he sings, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold." He confessed that he learned God's decrees in his pain. Through the thorn in his flesh, through the thorn that was not removed though he pleaded three times, Paul confessed that he realized the sufficient God's grace.

I read the book, The Desert Experience, which contained the confessions of 9 believers. They talked about the feelings of abandonment and separation in desert experiences. But they also confessed that it was the moment that they experienced God's grace in depth and it was that moment they opened up. It was that moment in the desert that they experienced God's grace deeply, broadly and madly.

That's why though the thorn pierce in the flesh, his grace is sufficient. Sufficient and abundant. Our God's grace is sufficient.

III

Year 2002 is almost over. We started with high hopes and expectations. But it was not a smooth ride. It was the year of ups and downs. There might be families who faced endless pain. There might be families whose prayers seemed unanswered though pleaded ten times or hundreds times. There of course might be families with many returns.

As we face these last few days of the year, I want to say this clearly. God's grace is unchangeable even today. That grace is sufficient today. God's grace is sufficient whether the thorn is there or not. There is no exception to God's grace. Because of God's grace, we came this far even in tears. We might not be able to see because of tears in our eyes now. But even the thorn is useful in Christ. We might realize the use later on. We might shout like Paul now or later on. That the thorn was the passage to God's glory and power. That for when I am weak, then I am strong. Because of sufficient God's grace.

The middle aged Christian was on the operation table in Germany. The cancer in his tongue spread that it needed to be cut off. His anesthesiologist asked if he would like to say anything before the operation because he would no longer be able to talk. People around the operation table were all tense and serious. What could we say as last words? What if I was on that situation? At last, the patient said in tears. He repeated the same words three times.

"Thank you, God."
"Thank you, God."
"Thank you, God."

That is exactly right. That is the exact words that we could say before God's grace. That what we could say before God as we close a chapter in the year 2002. Though the thorn pierces through our flesh, though the pain is unbearable, that is exactly what we can say before God.

"Thank you, God."
"Thank you, God."
"Thank you, God."