There is an old story about a boy who was having problems controlling his temper and cursing. His father advised him to drive a nail in a fence every time he lost his temper or cursed. The first day he tried it he put dozens of nails in the fence. Over the next several weeks of patiently driving nails in the fence he slowly reduced the number of nails daily and eventually got to zero. After going several days without having to drive any nails in the fence, he went to his father, and happily told him he had not cursed, had not lost his temper, and had not driven any nails into the fence for several days. His father then told him to go pull all the nails out of the fence in which he had driven the nails. It was a huge task because he had to remove several hundred nails. After he completed the job his father pointed out that although all the nails were gone, in every place he had previously driven a nail there was now a scar in the wood.
Reading this story again recently caused me to think of the nails driven into the wrists, the spear driven into the side, and the whip that tore the flesh on the back of Jesus. His disciples, and particularly Thomas, saw the scars in the risen Jesus. Isaiah 53 tells us “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (KJV v5-6, 12).
Get the picture? We have been forgiven of our sins (our nails pulled out of the fence). But scars were left. I am thankful that he came and took those scars for us. A song called Scars from the Christian band I Am They has a verse that says: “I’m thankful for Your scars ‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart And with my life I’ll tell of who You are So forever I am thankful.”
We do need to be thankful for the scars he bears for they do show his heart. There are two things about scars we need to understand. First, scars are the lasting physical, mental, and emotional effects of suffering or anguish. The scars in Jesus’ hands are from the nails that we drove in there. We held the hammer that drove the nails through his feet. The whip that tore the flesh off his back was swung by our arm. His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane was because of what he was about to do for us. How did we cause or do that? By the sins we committed. We can’t blame it all on the Jews or the Romans. They were OUR sins. And even though as followers of Christ we have been covered by the blood, I cannot help but wonder if when we do wrong in our Christian walk, if we are poking at the wounds. Like poking a sore or picking a scab.
Secondly, scars are an indicator, indeed they are the sign that healing has taken place. Think about that for a moment. Most of us have scars on our body where we were cut, burned, or otherwise injured. But those scars mean the wound is healed. On the other hand, a scab is not a scar. A scab forms from the wound during healing, but the healing has not taken place. If we have scabs, if we are still suffering from a wound that is physical, mental, or emotional, the scar has not formed, and healing has not taken place. If God’s grace is sufficient for us (and it is), then we need to allow his grace to heal those wounds. If we don’t, we will just continue to have the scab to pick at, worry over, and to suffer. If we continue to pick at it, healing will not take place.
Eternal healing took place for us by the pain, the suffering, the anguish in the Garden, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All because God so loved the world. The scars on Jesus are a sign that healing took place for our sins and when we accepted him as our Lord and Savior, eternal life was given. Thank you, God, for the scars.
Blessed Lord I pray you help me to see your scars every time I am about to say or do something I should not. Help me not to create any wounds on the hearts of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. To not drive any nails in them. Let any unseen wounds on me scar over and let me have enough grace so that my remembrance of those scars will remind me that healing has taken place. Let me always be thankful for the scars you bear for us. Lord Jesus, you were wounded for our transgressions, you were bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon you, and by your stripes we are healed. Blessed Lord Jesus, we are thankful, and we give you praise and glory. Help us to see the scars; let them remind us to tell of who you are; how you got them; and why you have them. Thank you, Jesus, for the scars. Amen.
Scars
April 29, 2020 by admin • Devotionals • 0 Comments
There is an old story about a boy who was having problems controlling his temper and cursing. His father advised him to drive a nail in a fence every time he lost his temper or cursed. The first day he tried it he put dozens of nails in the fence. Over the next several weeks of patiently driving nails in the fence he slowly reduced the number of nails daily and eventually got to zero. After going several days without having to drive any nails in the fence, he went to his father, and happily told him he had not cursed, had not lost his temper, and had not driven any nails into the fence for several days. His father then told him to go pull all the nails out of the fence in which he had driven the nails. It was a huge task because he had to remove several hundred nails. After he completed the job his father pointed out that although all the nails were gone, in every place he had previously driven a nail there was now a scar in the wood.
Reading this story again recently caused me to think of the nails driven into the wrists, the spear driven into the side, and the whip that tore the flesh on the back of Jesus. His disciples, and particularly Thomas, saw the scars in the risen Jesus. Isaiah 53 tells us “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (KJV v5-6, 12).
Get the picture? We have been forgiven of our sins (our nails pulled out of the fence). But scars were left. I am thankful that he came and took those scars for us. A song called Scars from the Christian band I Am They has a verse that says:
“I’m thankful for Your scars
‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart
And with my life I’ll tell of who You are
So forever I am thankful.”
We do need to be thankful for the scars he bears for they do show his heart. There are two things about scars we need to understand. First, scars are the lasting physical, mental, and emotional effects of suffering or anguish. The scars in Jesus’ hands are from the nails that we drove in there. We held the hammer that drove the nails through his feet. The whip that tore the flesh off his back was swung by our arm. His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane was because of what he was about to do for us. How did we cause or do that? By the sins we committed. We can’t blame it all on the Jews or the Romans. They were OUR sins. And even though as followers of Christ we have been covered by the blood, I cannot help but wonder if when we do wrong in our Christian walk, if we are poking at the wounds. Like poking a sore or picking a scab.
Secondly, scars are an indicator, indeed they are the sign that healing has taken place. Think about that for a moment. Most of us have scars on our body where we were cut, burned, or otherwise injured. But those scars mean the wound is healed. On the other hand, a scab is not a scar. A scab forms from the wound during healing, but the healing has not taken place. If we have scabs, if we are still suffering from a wound that is physical, mental, or emotional, the scar has not formed, and healing has not taken place. If God’s grace is sufficient for us (and it is), then we need to allow his grace to heal those wounds. If we don’t, we will just continue to have the scab to pick at, worry over, and to suffer. If we continue to pick at it, healing will not take place.
Eternal healing took place for us by the pain, the suffering, the anguish in the Garden, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All because God so loved the world. The scars on Jesus are a sign that healing took place for our sins and when we accepted him as our Lord and Savior, eternal life was given. Thank you, God, for the scars.
Blessed Lord I pray you help me to see your scars every time I am about to say or do something I should not. Help me not to create any wounds on the hearts of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. To not drive any nails in them. Let any unseen wounds on me scar over and let me have enough grace so that my remembrance of those scars will remind me that healing has taken place. Let me always be thankful for the scars you bear for us. Lord Jesus, you were wounded for our transgressions, you were bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon you, and by your stripes we are healed. Blessed Lord Jesus, we are thankful, and we give you praise and glory. Help us to see the scars; let them remind us to tell of who you are; how you got them; and why you have them. Thank you, Jesus, for the scars. Amen.