The Meaning of Scars

April 27, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Apparently Jesus’ resurrected body had some unique abilities, like walking through closed doors and ascending into the clouds. But despite these ethereal qualities, it also had a surprising human feature.

It still showed the scars.

His hands, feet, and side bore the marks of the nails and the spear, even though the rest of his body had been made perfectly whole. His heart resumed the pumping of his blood, and his brain again processed his senses and thoughts. But his skin? Not so much. The blemishes from his suffering were still there.

John’s gospel would have us believe that they were there for a reason: to identify Jesus to those who doubted. For anyone who wondered whether the resurrection was real, the scars dispelled the possibility that an imposter was in their midst. They would come to recognize Jesus not by his voice or his gait, nor by his mannerisms and motions, but by his scars. Jesus’ had suffered extraordinary brutality, and he alone had the marks to prove it.

Some of us go through life with scars, wishing they would disappear forever. I have a burn mark on my arm when I once touched a hot piece of equipment. Madelyn has a scar over her left eye from stitches she needed after falling off her bicycle. Grace has a scar on her cheek from when she was born. And I, like many of you, have scars that are invisible to the eye. They are from wounds in our spirit that reach deep within our past, etched by heartache, grief, doubt, or remorse. Perhaps our scars have faded some since their original severity. But they remain, reminding us of what we’ve been through, and what we’ve become as a result.

Consider the enduring scars of people in the Bible. There’s Jacob’s limp, or Adam’s sweat, or Paul’s thorn. Consider stories from the wider culture, and you’ll see the scar on Odysseus’ foot when he fought with a boar, and Luke Skywalker’s robotic hand after his duel with Darth Vader. Alice emerged from Wonderland with scrapes on her arm. And Harry Potter survived his childbirth encounter with Lord Voldemort with a tingling, lightning-shaped mark on his forehead.

Yes, scars recall old wounds. But they also offer encouragement. They remind us that in those moments when we could have played it safe, we chose to take a risk. When we could have chosen the easy way out, we decided to stay and struggle. When times got tough, we didn’t run and hide. Instead, we succumbed to the brutality of the moment, persisted through the pain, and survived to tell about it.

And, not only did we endure the suffering, we were transformed by it. Often, life’s most formative experiences are not the triumphs on the mountain top, but those born in the crucible of our deepest anguish. Those are the moments that stretched us until we thought we would break, bruised us until we thought we were bloodless, and pushed us until we thought we would never stand again. But the scars remind us that we did more than survive. We experienced the most powerful and central Christian realities:

Resurrection.

Look back on your life. Yes, you have been through a lot. More than you might feel you deserve. And at the time, it was more than you thought you could handle. But look at yourself, at all those scars and bruises (especially the ones so deep inside you that only you and God can see.) There’s no reason to be ashamed of them. No reason to hide them. Because they are living proof that God has seen you through.

“Jesus showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:20)

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org





WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Join us as we continue our sermon series “The Seven Next Words of Christ” with a focus on Jesus’ words to the disciples, “Peace Be With You” in John 20:19-31. The service will include a celebration of Holy Communion.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL REGISTRATION HAS BEGUN
Ahoy, mates! Sign up your children for another exciting Vacation Bible School! “High Seas Expedition” takes place from June 9-13, 9am-12noon, at a cost of $7 per child (ages 3 through completed 5th grade.) Register this Sunday at the VBS table, or simply drop by the church office. Registration begins now and continues over the next two Sundays. Scholarships are also available for anyone in need.

ST. PAUL’S ACHIEVES THIRD-MILE RECOGNITION AGAIN
At last Sunday’s District Conference, St. Paul’s received official word that we are just one of fifteen churches among the 100+ churches in the district to achieve Third-Mile status for Missions giving in 2009, according to the Iowa Conference Rainbow Covenant Missions initiative. Between missions and apportionments giving, the people of St. Paul’s gave over $57,000 for the work of God here in Iowa and around the world: that amounts to over $82.00 per member!

CHURCH-WIDE CLEAN-UP DAY
Come offer a helping hand to beautify the church campus after a long winter. We’ll be gathering on Saturday, May 8, from 8am-12noon. You can bring cleaning equipment and materials with you if you wish, and the church will be providing ample supplies as well. Youth are also encouraged to attend, as their time can count toward the Silver Cord volunteer program at the high school. For more information, contact Evan Knapp.