But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
John 20:24-27 NLT
I heard a story once about a young boy who was attacked by an alligator. As the alligator snapped at the boy's legs, the mother grabbed and held on to her son's arms with strength only a parent can possess when fighting for a child's life. A passing vehicle heard the mother screaming and quickly came to their rescue, shooting the alligator. Months later, a reporter was interviewing the little boy and asked to see his scars. He showed the scars on his legs but surprised the reporter by bragging about the scars on his arms. The little boy beamed, "My Mom didn't let go."
We often view scars as ugly, somehow making us less than... Less than what, I ask? I see scars as a visible sign of being an overcomer. Whatever was broken, whatever hurt you, whatever tried to kill you did NOT succeed! The scars on Jesus are because God wouldn't let go of you and me.
I see your scars, but I also see that you're still here and I praise God for that! Will you?
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for not letting go of us! Thank You for every scar on Jesus that represents and provides Your forgiveness, Your redemption, Your healing, and Your great love for us. As we celebrate Communion this weekend, help us to always remember Jesus' body and blood, broken and spilled out for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
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