Continuing with our series on scars: some scary and some not-so-scary, today we come to two more types of “Biblical scars” which are of great significance to us…
Slave and Spirited…
Back to the Apostle Paul’s spirited declaration of his slavery in:“From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” (Gal 6:17 ESV)…A la Larry Holmes, he was proud of his bodily scars, obviously an offshoot of all the physical persecutions he endured patiently. This in itself stands as a silent testimony of his tremendous commitment to the Lord, which marked his persevering, faithful service to the Master until the very end (See2 Cor 11:24-27/2 Tim 4:7-8).
Dear Christian, if you are persecuted by the stooges of the “Roaring lion” (“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 ESV) that is a “good sign”. It means you are really:
a) “wrenching out the Lord’s lambs from his ruthless jaws” (See1 Sam 17:34-35…note the Lion acts out of aggression only when the Shepherd strives to release the lamb from its murderous jaws);
b) Feeding the Master’s flock with “sound doctrine” (3 John 1:9-10), for the Enemy who is not so much bothered by “Christians who are cooling their heels” is indeed troubled by only those who engage him in a fierce battle (Eph 6:11/1 Peter 5:9). It is while in pursuit of their Master’s goals of not only “rescuing souls from the his domain of darkness”, but also of subsequently feeding and safeguarding them properly (Matt 28:18-20/John 21:16).
Mind you, scars sustained in selflessly fulfilling the Master’s “agenda” can sometimes be “emotional” in nature, for out of the mouth of the agents of the great Serpent can come some venomous words meant to break the “hearts” (read break “the will”) of a sincere servant of Christ (SeePsa 64:3,Pro 12:18 TLB). The diligent righteous ones, on the other hand, those who lean on the Master’s power, would nevertheless “soldier on” (Zech 4:6), always “punching above their weight” to use the Boxing parlance (SeeZech 4:6/2 Cor 4:7)!
However, whatever be the scars (physical or emotional) inflicted by the Enemy (the degree of which is permitted by our Sovereign, all-wise Lord for our own welfare — SeeI Cor 10:13/Rom 8:28), they ought to serve in our lives as a motivating force, rather than a de-motivating one, for undertaking greater works for His Glory.
Salvation and Set…
Say Christian…are you spurred on to live a God-pleasing life…serving Him selflessly by nothing other than your love for your Master who first loved you immensely (2 Cor 5:14/1 John 4:19)? If the answer is yes, then Praise God you are on the right track. Now consider this: doesn’t Jesus carry even today “scars” on his “glorified body” (John 20:24-28/Rev 5:6 TLB)? Are these not proof of His unending love, which galvanized Him to not only forsake the Heavenly glory for your oh-so-precious Salvation’s sake, but also to suffer immeasurably for it? Ever wondered, while his excruciating painful ordeal on the cross was time-bound, the “scars” resulting from it are “set in stone”, so to speak? Simply put, they are eternal in nature. Shouldn’t the realization of this truth make us fall in love with our Saviour over and over again?
In this connection, I would like to bring before you a truthful, touching story…
There was an orphaned boy living with his grandma when their house caught fire. The grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy’s cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drainpipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck. Several weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town’s wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But as they talked, the lad’s eyes remained focused on the floor. Then a stranger walked to the front and slowly took his hands from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed the hot pipe. With a leap the boy threw his arms around the man’s neck and held on for dear life. The other men silently walked away, leaving the boy and his rescuer alone. Those marred hands had settled the issue.
Prayer: Father, we praise and thank Thee for Your indescribable gift our Saviour Jesus to us. We glorify you for His atoning sacrifice on the Cross for us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “Scary and Not-so-Scary” mini-series, please click here.)