This morning I had my Bible laying in my lap and one hand resting on the page. I looked at it. It had a scab from where I touched the oven rack a few days back. There are some little cuts from working outside and a scar on the end of one finger from where I almost severed the tip of it 30+ years ago.
I remember when we were newly married our Sunday School teacher’s wife looked at my hands and said, “You have earthy hands, you must enjoy working hard”. I wasn’t offended, in fact, I took that as a compliment.
I’ll never be a hand model for a commercial but that’s ok. These hands have lived a lot of life and the one thing I want them to do is point to Jesus.
“ So they told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But Thomas said, ‘First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!’
26 A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples 27 and said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!’
28 Thomas replied, ‘You are my Lord and my God!’ 29 Jesus said, ‘Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!‘” John 20:25-29 CEV
First, I have to see the scars.
I think all of us at one time or another think “if I could just see Jesus, like the disciples did”. However, living with Jesus on a daily basis wasn’t what caused them to have such a strong testimony. The New Testament is filled with stories of their unbelief – Lord, there’s too many people to feed with 5 loaves and 2 fish; Lord, we’re going to sink; Lord, we can’t open the tomb, Lazarus stinks.
What Jesus said to Thomas was written for us. “The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!”
Paul wrote this to the Christians in Rome: “The Scriptures say no one who has faith will be disappointed, 12 no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. 13 All who call out to the Lord will be saved. 14 How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them?…17 No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. “
Take a moment to stop and look at your hands. Are they hands that reach out to touch others with the kindness and compassion of Jesus?
We’ve all been sent into the world to preach the Gospel. Let’s say to others “look at my hands” they are a testimony of God’s saving grace.