Jul. 07, 2024

“My Grace Is Sufficient For You”

Vicar Dylan Meyer

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9a). These are the words that the Apostle Paul hears from Jesus in his walk of faith. But what do they mean to him? Well, the Apostle Paul, as we know, was once known as Saul and he persecuted Christians by dragging them out of their homes and throwing them into prisons. Yet, we also know from his story in Scripture how Jesus revealed Himself to Saul and called him out of that life into something far greater—Christ gave him not only a new name, but also a new commission. That commission: to proclaim the Gospel! This is what Paul reflects on in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. He reflects on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by which he boasts. He also reflects on his weaknesses—the areas in his life where he falls short in his sin. But Christ’s words of grace and power give Paul strength in his weakness. And just as this is true for Paul, so too is it true for us! The grace of Christ Jesus gives us strength and power in our times of weakness—in our own times of “insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities” (12:10a). Christ’s grace is sufficient for us!

Questions:

1.    Why is Paul “boasting” to the Corinthians?

2.    What are the “thorns” of our flesh and how do they harass us?

3.    What does Paul mean when he says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10)?