John 20:25b ‘But he said to them, ‘ Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’
If we take a paper heart and tear off a piece for every time we have been hurt, disappointed, wounded, misunderstood, misused, grieved, or felt lonely, abandoned, and unworthy, what is left? Most of us have a lot of little pieces of paper in a pile before us.
Now imagine trying to tape all those pieces back together. We can use transparent tape or duct tape but without tape those pieces are still going to be separated, just lying around, susceptible to being scattered by one gust of breezy air through an open window.
Think of the tape as representing our life scars, it is a valuable part of holding us together.
A scar represents an injury that has healed. The open wound has now officially closed. Having fought off germs and infections tissue growth has occurred and over time the wound reduces in size leaving us a scar of remembrance.
Jesus left His nail-scarred hands for us to see. He left His scars for Thomas to touch and then believe in Him. Jesus certainly could have appeared without the scars but He appears ready to display them so Thomas will believe. He doesn’t hide His scars, deny His scars, or pretend they are not there. He leaves His scars visible and then Thomas believes.
Many of us have scars from no choice of our own making but from horrific situations, injuries, abuse, and harm done to us. But Jesus has scars because He loves us. He chose to receive whipping, beating, poking, taunting, piercing for us. He chose to be scarred for us. We can trust this kind of amazing love with our wounds and scars.
Someone may need to see our scars to believe. They may need to know of the wounds that have happened to us, what we’ve been through, and that we can relate to their difficult situation. They may need to see our scars, know of our overcoming and then believe in the Jesus of healing, restoration, the impossible.
Will you join me today in asking our loving Lord who we might need to be transparent with that our scars might lead us to talk with someone about His scars and His amazing love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy?
Father God, thank you that You see and know all of our scars. Thank You that You have healed those wounds and thank You that they are a part of who we are. Thank You for the scars You have that You took for us. Thank You for Your great, sacrificial love. You are amazing! In Your Name, we pray, Amen.