19b Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19b-20 NIV)
Our daughters played competitive volleyball from Jr High through College. After years in the sport, they’d acquired scars that they wore like a badge of honor. The contest of whose were the biggest, or the ugliest, was comical as they would try to outdo each other, pointing out every scar anytime they had an audience.
Not all those scars were permanent, many of them disappeared completely over time. It was the scars from clashes between players, demeaning comments from authority figures, and break-ups in dating relationships that caused wounds of the heart, leaving scars we don’t see. I think we all can relate to emotional scars and their lasting impacts.
Life Truth: Emotional wounds can leave permanent scars.
Jesus was prepared to endure the physical pain and scars of the crucifixion, but the unthinkable was being in hell, separated from the Father, to retrieve the keys to death and Hades (See Revelation 1:18b NIV) In the garden, in his intense anguish, Jesus prayed so hard he sweat drops, tinged with blood, while the three disciples that were there to pray and support him couldn’t stay awake. (See Luke 22:44 NIV).
Jesus was wounded emotionally. Judas, for the sake of money betrayed him with a kiss on the cheek (See Luke 22:48 NIV). Jesus’ physical and emotional wounds assure us that he can relate to our suffering. In his divinity he forgave his mocking enemies while they ‘crowned’ him with thorns and hung him on a cross with nails in his feet and hands. His suffering had a purpose. He was wounded so that we could be whole and reconciled to God. He was in the grave with the wicked, so we could be spared and have eternal life. The Father allowed his son to be crushed for our iniquity and his sacrifice was a fragrant offering (See Isaiah 53:5-10 NIV). Jesus had scars. When he appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, he pointed to his scars, not to get sympathy, but to prove he was risin, and that prophecy had been fulfilled. He knew everything he’d been through was according to the will of the father and had a purpose.
Life Truth ll: Wounds that leave scars are evidence that something happened. Unaddressed wounds will be evidenced in a lack of healing.
What can we learn from Jesus and how he handled his wounds?
Jesus did not seek revenge. He did not allow his pain to fester. He sought the presence of the Father! He prayed. He read the scrolls and spent time in the Temple. If Jesus, though divine, prioritized contact with the Heavenly Father as he fulfilled his purpose and God’s will, it stands to reason that we, in our frailty and brokenness, need to do the same.
Jesus knows that emotional scars can be caused by physical trials. For 12 years the woman with the issue of blood was ostracized by law and in her distraught state she pushed through the crowd to touch Jesus’ garment in faith, hoping to be released from the torment of her affliction. The leper, doomed to die in solitude due to his disfiguring, contagious disease, not only sought physical healing, but longed to touch his loved ones and return to community once again.
When we encounter wounded people we may take offense to their cold, indifferent demeanor or misunderstand their lack of engagement as being aloof, or contemptuous. Maybe inside they’re screaming, “Yes, I’m bleeding and part of me just died a little!” Maybe it’s a cover for the shame of abuse or rejection. Maybe they’re mad at God.
We live in a fallen world that is cruel, and unfair. We sustain wounds of the heart and body that are inexplicable and inexcusable. We have a choice; let these wounds disqualify us for joy, peace, and wholeness, or do what Jesus did. Cry out to the Father who loves us. Forgive. Get our besties to pray, and trust God’s will and purpose for us. When we reveal our scars, seen or unseen, past or present, to others, it’s not to get sympathy, but to point them to Jesus who was “scarred for life”, eternal life, for us and for them.
© Copyright LH Rowland, 2021
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