2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (New International Version)
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. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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. 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.
I'd rather boast in my weaknesses than take pride in my strengths for fear that I may trust in them instead of trusting in my God.For the Lord has made me a 'tester of metal' for His own people to see if they will receive me or not. It's easy to receive one who deceives with their worldly attractiveness and one who conforms to the standards of this world,meaning one who is from the world.It will be very difficult to recognize one who comes from the Lord if he appears with his weakness and as'foolishness' to the standards of this world.
The Lord Jesus appeared poor,born and placed in a manger because there was no place for Him. Later, when He grew up to be a man,He said ,"I have no where to lay or rest my head".Even birds have nest,foxes have safe holes to rest but the Son of Man had nowhere to safely rest His head on this earth because the enemies of Christ were always after Him. His situation was that He made Himself lower than that of the animals.
He could have summoned for God's help with the legion of God's angels assisting Him but how else will the scriptures be fulfilled,except that He offer up His life for His sheeps."Dogs" surrounded Him always.God the Father allowed this to happen to show clearly the difference between good and evil.Who could have shown what is good, other than Christ himself? For all men had failed and had sinned.Judas Iscariot was His 'thorn in the flesh', being very close to Him among the twelve who finally betrayed Him to the Romans.He was the son of perdition.
For apostle Paul, a physical lack was the thorn in the flesh for him.
Galatians 4:13-14 (New International Version)
As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
The Lord Jesus Christ warned and still reminds us today that many will be deceived into thinking that God's prophets and His humble servants will appear with great worldly qualifications and attractiveness of the world,but the opposite will be true.
They will appear sickly,sometimes unfairly imprisoned,poor with material lack,despised,forsaken and rejected before men and their families.
Matthew 25:40-46 (New International Version)
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Why else would their punishment be so severe! These are God's humble servants least suspected by hard-core,unrepenting sinners that they are sent by God. The delusion is that they would think a servant of God will appear as one who is outwardly impressive and successful in this world.They would judge them by the color of their skin,appearance and forget that the Holy Spirit lives in these humble servants of Christ.They will deceive their own kind and be deceived themselves to their own destruction.They would not know the difference between those who are truly God's servants and those who only claim to be one.
These easily deceived ones will judge everything by the things of this world,as the world judges them.
