The old saying, “You can’t take it with you” is not completely true! Sorry, but on this April 15th Tax Day, you won’t be taking any money with you. There is something that we do take with us from this life into the next – that something is our SCARS.
Until I was 60, I didn’t have a single scar on my body. But over the past 20 years, I have had seven major surgeries as well as some minor injuries and some scars from the dermatologist. Today all my scars raise eyebrows on a few of my doctors’ faces.
I saw a surgeon last Thursday and he was surprised at all the scars that were showing on my mid-section.
But we all take our scars with us when we die. The past two Sundays our gospel lessons point to the fact that the risen Christ still carried on his body the scars of his life on earth. Last Sunday in St. John’s Gospel we heard of Jesus’ meeting Thomas’ demand to see and to touch the Lord’s wounds. In yesterday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus answering the questions that rose in his disciples’ hearts by showing them his scars.
Jesus relieves their fears and troubles with these words, “Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” (Luke 24:39). It was in sharing his scars from his old life that Jesus opened up the new life and the new relationship he was now having with his disciples.
Whatever else he brought with him from the grave, Jesus brought first of all his scars. The Resurrection joy and fellowship came in the shared encounter of his wounds that were healed. You and I experience Resurrection when we can look at our old scars caused by the wounds of sin and see that they are completely healed.
Others will then notice the difference in us. Our scars are healed. We’re not hurting any more. Those around us now get the best of us, and not the worst of us. There is Easter Joy deep within us and all around us.
Thanks to Mart Production for the photo.
Have all of YOUR emotional scars healed? If not, how have others been suffering?
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU CAN FOCUS ON WHAT’S TEARING YOU APART, OR WHAT’S HOLDING YOU TOGETHER!
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