Last week we looked at the risen Jesus appearing among his disciples in a locked room on the evening of the day where his tomb being empty was reported. As John 21:19b-20 says, "Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side". His hands, of course, had the scars from where the nails had been driven through them, and his side the scar from where the sword had pierced him The disciples did not ask for this--Jesus showed them unbidden. We are told that Thomas was not with them, and when the others told Thomas that Jesus had indeed been with them, Thomas said "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" (John 21:25b). A week later Jesus appears again, and Thomas is with them--and without Thomas asking, Jesus shows him the scars on his hands and side. Thomas believes--even declares "My Lord and my God!". And Jesus responds, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (John 21:29) A colleague reflecting on this story recently wondered why Jesus EVEN HAD the scars. Jesus was victorious over death--why wasn't Jesus victorious over scars? Lord knows we worry about things like that We have cosmetic surgery to rid ourselves of our own scars--there are even "reality" TV shows about how people seek to get rid of all kinds of things on their bodies that they consider unsightly. There are tummy tucks, nose jobs, breast augmentations (both increasing and decreasing), Botox injections. People do all sorts of things to cover up or change what they consider unworthy to be seen--what in their eyes they perhaps consider embarrassing to acknowledge. And yet here is Jesus showing his scars, without even being asked. Why? Perhaps it's because Jesus took on our humanity fully--as the saying goes, "warts and all". As I so often say, he gets what it is to be us. And perhaps also because scars teach us something. Perhaps our own scars remind us of how we got them, and the wisdom we have gained from them--and the recognition that we've got to admit that we can't keep up appearances that we're somehow perfect, or "have it all together"--we need Jesus to help us through life. And perhaps when Jesus says "Blessed are those who have not seen . . ." he is referring to those scars that aren't physical, but emotional, mental, psychological. Those times we've been hurt, or ignored, or discounted, or put down, or suffered grief and loss--those things we still carry with us that aren't visible, but still "scar" us. Perhaps Jesus retaining his scars affirms for us that he "gets"--he understands--those kinds of scars that we too have--and that he is indeed victorious over them--that we are blessed as we believe even as others can't see, because he does see. Jesus is victorious over sin and death, and gives us that victory too. But what gets us to sin and death is worth remembering. The scars, both obvious and hidden, remind us that it is JESUS who is victorious, and that we are GIVEN that victory by his grace.
John 20:24-31
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ 28 Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.