Of Wounds, And Scars

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  --Isaiah 53:5

Two weeks ago I was helping my wife in the kitchen.  She asked me to slice some zucchini, and she set up the Mandolin Slicer.  "Be careful," she told me.  "It's very sharp."  I started slicing the squash long-ways, and found it inconvenient to use the guard, leaving my hand unprotected.  Sure enough, I sliced off the tip of my middle finger.

The pain was sudden, immediate, and excruciating.  It bled for several seconds until I could grab a towel and apply pressure.  Then I wrapped it in gauze, and put a bandage over the wound.  The next day, I was trying to change the gauze, but the scab had fused with the mesh.  Pulling it off was almost as painful as the original injury.  It did not bleed quite as much the second time, but pulling off the gauze meant I was re-opening the wound.   Once I was able to properly bandage the wound, I placed a finger guard over it.  That kept me from inadvertently striking it against something and causing more pain.

Eventually, I took off the guard, and the bandage, and let the wound air out.  The sore became less sensitive, and the scab gradually dropped off.  It is amazing how God made us, so that when we are wounded we can begin the process of healing by ourselves, without any outside intervention.  We are not like machines with replacement parts.  We are human.  We experience pain.  We bleed.  And yet we can witness the process of restoration within our own bodies.

You can still tell that there was a sore place, and the outer layers of skin will still need to cover over it.  There will be a scar there for a long while to remind me to be more careful around sharp instruments.  The scar lets me know there was a wound, but that it has healed.

In the introduction to the Gospel of John, the Apostle describes how the very Word of God became a Man in every way.  "The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us." (John 1:14a).  God, having striven with man since the Creation, knew how sinful we were.  He knew that dealing with humans would result in wounds.  Men have continuously found new ways to hurt one another: physically, verbally, mentally, and emotionally, people have always hurt people.  And yet God became a man, and lived among us anyway.  It was the only way He could reconcile Himself with us.

Knowing us as the Creator, the architect and engineer who designed us, put us together, and placed us in Eden only to have us spit in His face--that's one thing.  But knowing us by becoming one of us, well that is quite another.  Philippians 2:6-8 says of Jesus:

 "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient unto death--even death on a cross."

There are some things, I think, that Jesus wants us to know about wounds.

People Will Hurt You
Wounds are inevitable.  There is no one who is immune to them.  We can act like Superman, and pretend not to be affected, but deep in our hearts we know that we are all in the same boat.  Shakespeare, in The Merchant of Venice, said: "If you prick us, do we not bleed?  If you tickle us, do we not laugh?  If you poison us, do we not die?  And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"  Yet Jesus did not seek revenge.

He did, however, warn us to be careful.  Like my wife, who warned me that the slicer was sharp, Jesus taught us to be wary of those around us.  Matthew 10:16 says, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Both of our children were delivered by Cesarean Section.  The scars that my wife bore to give our children life pale in comparison to the wounds our children inflicted on their mother's heart as they grew older.  The defiance, disobedience, and disregard for her feelings hurt her much more than the pain of childbirth*.  In the same way, the sins that mankind has committed against God were the reason He sent His Son to die a sacrificial death.

Do Not Pick At the Scab
Jesus wants to be there for us.  He wants to heal our hearts, to restore us to health, and to show His power over sin and death through us.  But if we constantly relive the past, sulking and whining to anyone who will listen to us about how deep our wound is, and how wronged we were, then God cannot heal us.  It is like my pulling off the gauze that was infused with dried blood--painful.  The wound made me bleed once.  Pulling off the scab made be bleed again.  The first one was caused by the blade; the second was caused by me.

I think this is what Jesus meant when He told us to "turn the other cheek." (Matthew 5:39).  If we take our revenge by ourselves, we are in danger of infection and making the wound worse.  Deuteronomy 32:35 says, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay.  In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."

No, the Old Testament does not teach the concept of Karma.  What it does tell us is to keep ourselves under the protection of the Almighty.  Think of it this way:  What is a scab, anyway?  It is dried blood, clotted and fused to the wound so that the wound can heal.  As long as the wound is protected by the blood, it will heal.  In the same way, if we place ourselves under the shed blood of Jesus, we will overcome. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."  The part about "forgiveness of sins" means both His forgiving our sins and allowing us to have the hope of heaven, and the forgiveness that we show to those who have wounded us, so that the person who wounded us may have a chance for repentance and redemption through the example we have of Christ's love.

Scars Are Beautiful Things
There will come a time when the wound will heal enough that the scab falls off.  In that area, the body no longer needs to be covered by the blood.  But what is left, depending on how deep the wound, is a discoloration or mark that shows the effects of the wounding, long after it is healed.  Many people try to hide their scars.  They will cover the scars with clothing (like wearing long sleeves in the summer time), with make-up (especially if the scar is in a highly visible place, such as the face or neck), or with hair (some women intentionally cut their hair in bangs, even when bangs are not in style, to cover a scar on the forehead).  They feel that the scars make them stand out, that the difference in appearance from everyone else somehow makes them inferior to everyone else.

Scars to not make you inferior.  They make you unique.  How did Jesus prove His bodily resurrection to Thomas, the doubting disciple?  John 20:27 says, "Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe."  Jesus invited Thomas to examine and touch His scars, so that by seeing, he would believe.  In the same way, we may carry scars that tell a story of redemption and restoration.  Yes, the scars were caused by sin, but by the blood of Jesus we were made whole again.

When Our Scars Fade Away In the Light of His Glory
This morning in my quiet time I was reading in the Book of Revelation.  Toward the end of the chapter, where it tells of the final victory that the Lamb of God possesses over the world and the power of darkness.  Even when He comes in His glory, He will be identified by the Blood.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  With justice He judges and makes war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns.  He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.  He will rule them with an iron scepter.  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  --Revelation 19:11-18

When a general leads his army into battle, he may have a mark on his uniform to differentiate his rank.  It might be a plume on his helmet, or silver stars on his shoulders.  In the final battle of good versus evil described above, the armies of God are all dressed in white linen and riding white horses.  But the Leader has His robe dipped in blood, to signify His pre-eminence.  The wounds He endured on the cross 2000 years ago still identify Him as the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world.

Some of you may recognize the latter part of verse 17 as being a part of the Battle Hymn of the Republic--"He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored."  The writer of the Battle Hymn knew the scripture was full of war imagery.  He chose this passage in Revelation because he knew God's cause is just, and that the Rider who is called Faithful and True will overcome.  He will be victorious.  And so will we, who are washed in His blood.  Like the heavenly warriors riding behind the Lamb, our covering will be washed white as snow.

Our scars will fade away in the light of His glory.  Even if the wounds are still fresh, they will pale in comparison to the blood that was shed for our sins.  For that reason we identify with the Tribulation Saints:  "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." (Revelation 12:11).

*For the record, our children are great kids.  They have grown up to be fine Christians, well-educated and not afraid of work.  The reference to their growing up with disagreements between them and their parents was used as an example only, and should not be construed to mean that we are not both very proud of both our children.  Now, if we can know when we might expect grandchildren....