"From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear the scars that show I belong to Jesus. " (Galatians 6:17 NLT)
Paul bore the scars of faith on his body. He had endured much for the sake of the gospel and he wore his battle wounds as badges of honor. His words make me wonder, how do we wear our own injuries?
We recently spent a brief weekend with both kids. It was our annual Thoreson Family Retreat and this year, we stayed home. We ate steak, played video games, shared stories and drank a lot of coffee. It was quick and slow at the same time. Before we each parted ways, we gave the Spirit room to impart something to us. We spent a few minutes independently considering our family history. With pen and paper, we each scratched out the landmarks of our life together. They wound up looking like life maps – word and picture models of how we got to this point. Then we sat in the living room and shared our perspectives.
Honestly, it was hard to hear. There were a lot of scars. Everyone had included some measure of brokenness in their personal family anthology. But I suppose no family exists apart from a measure of pain. Our little unit has been devoted to Christ from inception. The four of us bear the marks of that dedication.
I think of cattle and branding: a burn in the hide indicates ownership. It’s immediately unpleasant but permanent possessive. Our disfigurements are similar. This family belongs to the Savior and we have individually and collectively borne the cost of belonging. Like Paul, our scars show that we adhere to Jesus.
This morning, I reconsider my Savior’s expedition into humanity. His life map would have included Bethlehem, Egypt and Nazareth. He would have sketched the headstone of His earthly father, Joseph. The wasteland of the Negev was part of his story, as well as the dove descending in baptism. How He might have drawn the feeding of the five thousand, I’m not sure, but it was a part of His story. He wept over Jerusalem and Lazarus alike. He experienced rejection and deception. He hurt when His people hurt and still, His map was always moving toward the cross. He knew it. It would have been tempting to take another route and He certainly had the way-with-all to turn around. Nevertheless, He persisted: through Golgotha, the tomb, all the way to resurrection and ascension.
Jesus took an arduous journey on our behalf. Though many stretches were unpleasant, He endured until the end where His body bore the wounds of His love for us. I think we can keep traipsing through tough terrain in response to Him, even when our expedition inflicts a few scars of belonging.
"Some will proudly claim, 'I belong to the Lord.' Others will say, 'I am a descendant of Jacob.' Some will write the Lord's name on their hands and will take the name of Israel as their own." (Isaiah 44:5 NLT)
Lord, we can admit this journey is hard and our bodies bear the indicators of exertion. We’ve been wounded in our following. Today we recall the scars on Your hands and feet. We acknowledge the price You paid to lead us into eternity. We can’t help but offer our limbs in response. Carve Your name into our hands as evidence of our inclusion in Your family. Help us stay the course, carrying out Your plan even when we can’t comprehend what You are accomplishing. Help us trust Your trail and plod on with willing hearts. We belong to You alone. Amen.