“Now Thomas (also known as Didymus ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!””
John 20:24-28 NIV
Why did the resurrected body of Jesus continue to reflect the scars of what had been done to him?
Have you ever wondered about what your resurrected body will look like? Personally, I’m hoping mine will look like about 24 and be smokin’ hot. Trust me when I say, “I would rather erase all the scars of my life.” Self inflicted and other inflicted – no reminders of pain please. When I encountered the love of God through the forgiveness of Jesus, a lot of scar removal occurred. It was amazing how he took my shame of my sin and gave me a new life. Yep, he forgave everything I ever did and removed my shame.
Unfortunately, no one talked about a different kind of shame. The shame of what had been done to me. When we are victimized, we become ashamed of what was done to us. It’s not the same as shame for our actions. We can be grieved and repentant of the things we’ve done but we are helpless to what is done to us. We find ourselves apologizing for something we had no control over. Something as innocuous as aging – “I’m sorry I can’t do the things I used to because my body is betraying me.” The sad truth is one of the main reasons domestic violence thrives is because of the shame of the victim. Children don’t tell when they are abused because there is a sense of shame that is imparted to them as victims. Adultery, divorce, unemployment, even the chance of what family you were born into can attach shame to you through no fault of your own. No matter what age you are when you are betrayed by someone you’ve trusted, as the victim you are often the one who is ashamed. The perpetrator does not see that they have anything to be ashamed of but as the victim you aren’t only wounded but you are ashamed of your wounds. Ashamed of your vulnerability, of your innocence or lack of discernment, ashamed that your trust was betrayed. You ask things like how could I let that happen? What did I do? Why did I put myself in that position? Why did that happen to me – is there something wrong with me? Yes friends, we become ashamed of being victims and that shame keeps us from being healed and set free. Being a victim means you’re helpless. You’re rejected by someone you’ve looked to for acceptance or trusted. You’re different. You’re damaged goods. We are ashamed of what’s been done to us as if it was our fault and we want to hide our failure so we tuck it away and present a brave face to the world.
But Jesus knows us. So he chose to die in the most shameful manner possible. Not by stoning which would have been the traditional Jewish punishment. No he died by crucifixion and not just crucifixion but crucified between two criminals – hung with the guilty – for all the world to see. No obscure humiliation for Jesus but his indignity and injustice are made public. He is completely exposed in his ignominy.
Praise God Sunday comes and he rises from the grave victorious! He returns in a marvelous resurrected physique that is spirit enough to pass through locked doors and physical enough to eat fish. He returns the same yet changed. And rising from the grave in this amazing body, does he erase the marks of the cross – the symbol of his degradation and rejection by his own people? No. He chooses to bear the scars of shame as if to say this is my badge of victory. I will not apologize for what my people did to me but I have turned it around and what was once a source of shame is celebrated as his victory over what the devil wanted to do. He took what the devil wanted to use to destroy him and used it to save, heal, and deliver everyone who comes to him.
Friends, I want you to know that what the devil has done to you does not define you but if you trust him, Jesus can take those things and reshape your life into something glorious. Are you willing to forgive yourself for being a victim? To shed the shame of what you couldn’t help? Today I invite you to bring your shame to him and allow him to transform it into your victory. Invite him to cleanse you of the slime and ashes of shame of suffering injustice at the hands of another. Receive his healing and victory in place of your shame and be healed.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.””
Romans 1:16-17 NIV