Scars

 As I was reading in the book of John chapter 20 verses 19-23, I’m fascinated. I’m fascinated not only by the fact that Jesus again performed another feat of ‘out of this world proportions’ when He walked through not only closed doors but doors that were locked to show Himself to the disciples.
 Wow!  I’m fascinated not only by the fact that Jesus gave His Holy Spirit to them simply by breathing on them. But perhaps what was most fascinating to me, as I reading this, was the testimony Jesus gave, not spoken; not by working of miracles; not even by the showing in scripture where He was the fulfillment of the promised Messiah; but I’m fascinated by the testimony of His scars.  It was the scars that Jesus received on the cross at Calvary that told the disciples who He was.  It was His scars that clearly identified Him and gave testimony to the fact the He was the Christ. It was the nail prints in His hands and the scar of the sword that was thrust in His side that told the world that He was the Messiah and had overcome death. And just as the bible says that the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord’s scars,  we too should rejoice because it is by the stripes that He received, the scars that He bears on His body, that we are all healed! Thank you Jesus! 

 And when I consider the testimony of Christ’s scars, I can’t help but realize that we too bear scars of our own. If I could take a survey, and take a poll of the bruises and spiritual hurts that  span across this land, how many reports of deep inner hurt would come back.  How many apprehensions? How many anxieties?  How many misgivings?  How many fears?  How many disappointments?  How many betrayals?  How much love was given but not received?  How many times have we reached out but found only rejection? What a mountain it would make, if I cold take a poll of all the scars represented here:  Sickness endured; The loss of those whom we loved; Our misinterpreted ambitions and frustrated hopes, Our broken dreams. What a mountain! What a mountain it would make.

 These mountains of despair and calamity at times seem to grow so high as to overtake us under their shadow, and we live our lives in reaction to not only our physical scars but our mental bruises. 


 How ironic that even in the middle of our disappointments, we continue to navigate the dangerous waters of life alone, thinking we’re in full control, all the while sinking deeper and deeper into the hole of pain and heartache.  Some of us need to stop being afraid to show our scars.  It may be the best thing you ever do for yourself because the bible reminds us that we overcome the enemy, not only by the blood of the Lamb, but we overcome by the power of our testimony.  So wear your scars proudly!  People could learn hidden secrets and great truths about each other if they had a chance to listen to the testimony of each scar. We all have some scars from our experiences in this world. Scars can be a reminder of our pain, or reminders that we are healed and have been made stronger than before. The skin that’s been scarred is stronger than the skin that’s never been scarred.  So they become symbols of our strength, not our weakness! Some tell of failed lives outside of Christ. But there are others that tell of our victories through Christ. Our scars, if we let them, can testify to the saving grace and healing power of the Lord and of His goodness and mercy for giving His life for these He has called His own.  If scars could only talk, what a story they would tell.



 If scars could talk. Every scar, stretch mark, wrinkle or aging line on the body has a story to tell. Perhaps that's what Debra Neal had in mind when she wrote:

  This line was a boyhood scratch
  This line's from a manhood match
  This line traces a thousand smiles
  This line shows hard times and miles
  I touch and feel and know from afar
  the life you lived, written in every scar.

 Sometimes our scars cannot be seen because they are from injuries of the heart. Traumatic experiences leave scars. Death of a loved one, failure in love or life, rejection, mistreatment and disappointment, all leave scars etched on the walls of the mind and heart like graffiti on the walls of a building.  Some graffiti is beautiful but some graffiti is ugly, some I’d like to see left alone and some I’d like to see painted over and hid.  Just like our scars...some we wear proudly like the scars of the birth of a child or an injury received in combat fighting for the lives of others but others we want to hide like the scars of abuse, neglect and heartbreak.  But I’ve come to tell you today that Jesus wants to heal those hidden wounds.  I say wounds because they may look like scars but they’ve gone unhealed beneath the scar and if we were to look behind the scars we’d see the pain, the heartache, and all the disappointments...the wounds that still bleed with every memory.  Jesus wants to bring those wounds out in the open so He can heal them.  Sometimes healing hurts and hurts so bad we shun away from help because of the pain.  Sometimes the doctor has to pull a scab off or reopen a wound because it may have healed on the outside but not the inside.  He has to do this so the wound can heal again but from the inside out.  And so often that’s what Jesus will have to do. Expose that abuse you suffered from someone who was supposed to love you, expose every rejection you ever felt as a child on up. Open up those hidden places to Him and allow Him to heal you.  Can I tell you something....Jesus can heal you wherever you hurt!  Yes the process may hurt but after the pain, comes beautiful healing in Jesus name. 

 Conclusion...And so, my beloved brothers and sisters, even though we have our own scars with which we must deal; even though it’s not been easy, and you have been beaten,battered and torn; the scars of Jesus testify that Jesus is the same one who died on Calvary for your issues and for mine! We can take our bleeding wounds to Calvary and be healed!  We don’t have to drag around those same hurts and insecurities which life has burdened us with.  We don’t have to keep living our lives out of the stories of pain and abuse that have haunted us.  We don’t have to go around singing...."Gloom, despair and agony on me". We can take those things that have burdened our life and soul to the cross and be healed!  Will you do that today?  Jesus will meet you there with healing in His wings.  He is the Balm of Gilead that soothes and protects your most hidden wounds!  He is your Healer...Jehovah Rapha and He wants to heal you today! 

 In His love,
Elizabeth