St. Luke 8:4–15
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
At first glance, I wondered what our Epistle has to do with our Gospel today? But on closer inspection, I saw that they both have to do with how Christians endure trials and temptations. What is the point of Christian suffering? Still, this Epistle is a strange one. It’s not the kind of straightforward doctrinal teaching we normally get from Paul. This time he gets personal. He gets sarcastic. Sometimes you have to read the Bible with a sense of irony and humor or you’ll never get it.
The Corinthians were being led astray by false preachers, who claimed to have the secret for the good and easy life, full of blessings and power, boasting that they’re the real Christians. Paul calls them “super-apostles” (He’s mocking them). And in order to drive his point home, he gets sarcastic with the Corinthians who have listened to these charlatans. You gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! Oh, you are so wise, Corinthians. You know how to handle a foolish person like me. For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. You must be so good and wise, because you even like it when these super-apostles take advantage of you. You listen to them while they dupe you, steal from you, and treat you like lowly second-class Christians. And you praise them for it! To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! I couldn’t bring myself to take advantage of you the way those guys did. But I guess I’m just a simple fool. Obviously, I don’t know what makes for a good apostle.
Paul is being super sarcastic. He keeps saying, I’m speaking like a fool, like a madman. He’s letting them know that he’s not being serious—the way you might put a winking smiley face in your text or email to let someone know you’re joking. Sarcasm doesn’t always come through when it’s written or typed. But Paul wants to make his case in this most ridiculous way, so that the Corinthians will pay attention and see that they’ve been taken in by these false promises of easy glory and a rich life. A Christian life without suffering is not really a Christian life.
So, instead of just countering the claims of the super-apostles by boasting that he’s even more super, more blessed, more gifted as an apostle… Paul takes a different approach. At first, it does seem like he’s bragging: Are those other guys Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman (wink, wink, I’m not actually bragging about being a better Christian or a better pastor than others). But then Paul really does start bragging and boasting, but not in his strengths or gifts or blessings. He doesn’t brag about how great Paul is. He boasts in his hardships and weaknesses. He boasts in the suffering he has endured for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. He’s a true apostle of Jesus, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Being an actual apostle, and being a real Christian is not that glamorous or easy.
Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, as if all that external pressure wasn’t enough, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. I am stressed out because I actually care about the souls of my flock. Who is weak, and I am not weak? When there’s a Christian, weak, struggling in his faith, I care about him and I suffer with him. Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? When someone is wronged or led into sin, I care about him, I have righteous indignation for his situation.
No pastor in modern America can claim to have suffered half of what Paul suffered. But I can guarantee you, any half–decent faithful pastor has experienced this last one: daily pressure of anxiety for all his members. As spiritual guardians and caretakers of souls, we are accountable for you. And when people don’t listen or don’t care about what the pastor is saying, it kills him; not because of his own wounded pride, but because he loves his people. He wants what is best for them, he wants what God wants for them, and the pastor is responsible for them.
But back to Paul. He’s saying to those high and mighty super-apostles, who are bragging about their super-spiritual gifts, and he’s saying to the Corinthians who have been hanging on these guys: you want to play the boasting game? Okay, I’ll boast. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Instead of pointing out how strong in faith I am, how wise and eloquent and important I am, I’m going to focus on how much I have suffered. Because that’s what real Christians do. They don’t use Christ and His blessings to enjoy their best life now. They suffer for the sake of Christ and for His Word.
And Paul goes on. He says, I could brag about visions—not that it would do any good. But okay, since these super-spiritual people like their own visions and dreams more than the simple Word of God, okay, let’s brag about heavenly visions. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows… and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. We can be almost completely certain that Paul is talking about himself here. If anyone wants to flex their spiritual muscles with him and claim greater insight into the mind of God, Paul has got them beat. He was actually taken into heaven. Forget about the little kid or the man who claims to have died and seen Jesus or seen a loved one and then came back to tell about it. Paul actually did it, and he says it can’t be told. If the Apostle Paul wasn’t allowed to publish a book about his trip to heaven and get a movie deal, then nobody else should go spreading around their “visions” either.
And Paul deliberately hides that it was him, because that’s not what people need to pay attention to. On behalf of this man I will boast (the guy who got to see heaven), but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth (that’s how we know Paul was the man caught up to heaven—he could boast about his heavenly visions if he wanted to and he wouldn’t be lying, unlike so many other charlatans). But, he says, I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me. He only wants people to focus on his actual ministry as a servant of Christ. All we need to focus on is the way he lived as a simple Christian, willing to suffer on account of Jesus, and most especially, focus on the Word of Christ that he preached. We don’t need heavenly visions or super-spiritual gifts. All we need is the clear Word of God and the willingness to stick with that Word no matter what comes our way.
Even Paul, didn’t really need the spectacular vision he got. He goes on: So to keep me from being too elated because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being elated. Just so Paul didn’t get too high and mighty, too proud of his spiritual insight and power, Jesus gave Paul an extra burden to bear. We don’t know what thorn he’s referencing—if it was sickness, physical suffering, or some kind of emotional turmoil, or some sin that he struggled with. Whatever it was, it was a cross, a trial, sent from Jesus in order to keep Paul humble, down to earth. He could never think that he had everything all figured out, that he just had such a blessed life, so easy and carefree. The Lord Jesus disciplined him.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. Paul prayed for what every Christian would pray for: “Lord, please heal me. Please take this temptation away from me. Give me peace.” But the Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will tell you that this is a verse I personally repeat to myself many, many times. Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” He doesn’t always heal the physical ailment. He doesn’t always take away the worry, or simply remove the besetting sin so that we don’t have to fight the temptation anymore. He wants us to suffer as Christians. He wants us to suffer while trusting in Him alone for the strength, for the patience, for the rescue. And His grace is enough. His Word, His baptism, His body and blood are enough.
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Earthly promises of easy glory and a rich life will ultimately fail—whether that be the glory of actual wealth or the richness of family and friends—it doesn’t last forever and it won’t get you to heaven. That’s why I’ll brag about my sufferings as a Christian. I’ll admit that all I have, all I bring to the table is my weakness. Because then all I really have is Christ, His grace and His power. And then I have more than enough.
What then does this have to do with the Parable of the Sower? Well, to start with, Christians are only able to endure suffering by relying on the Word of God, the seed that is sown in our lives by baptism, by preaching, by learning the Bible, and by the Lord’s Supper. We are able to endure suffering only by relying on the grace and blessings that come with that Word.
And so this message from Paul especially fits with the rocky soil. Some seed fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture… The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. The hot sun is good and necessary for plants. The plants don’t wither because of the sun, but because there is no moisture in the soil for the plant to rely on, and no way for the plant to put down deep roots so that it can survive even in times of hot, dry weather. In order for Christians to endure testing, trial, and temptations, in order for a Christian’s faith to not wither up and die when suffering comes, he’s got to have roots, sunk deep into rich, nourishing soil.
So, where do you get the moisture for your soil? What’s going to make your roots of faith grow? Where do you get that sufficient grace to sustain you when the Lord doesn’t take the pain or hardship away immediately? You get it in His Word. You get it in your Baptism, and by returning to your Baptism in confession and absolution. You get it in the Supper of His body and blood that connects you to His own immortal life. This is the Lord’s holy irrigation. And He provides it for you now, so that when the sun beats down—when the world shows its hatred of Christ and of His Christians; and when the hot, dry winds try to suck up your strength—when temptation comes and you can’t stand against it on your own; then you’ll have His grace and it will be enough. Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
Preached at Trinity, Clinton, IA, & Immanuel, Charlotte, IA
