Rachel Whisman

At the beginning of last week, I had to escort one of my students to his reorientation room due to his behavior. While walking the student down, I started noticing a pain creep up from my hand; I was getting scratched by a child. Immediately, I let go and another adult stepped in to help. At first, it was just a sting, a little wince of pain. I looked down to where the student had scratched me in multiple places and thought it would fade away by the next day. However, the next morning, there was a sting when I was washing my hands. The scratches had become more evident as they were trying to heal. As the days passed by, anytime I looked at my hands I was reminded of what a child had done to me. They weren’t scars, but they were scratches. 

With time, my hand will return to normal, and no trace of evidence will remain to remind me of this incident. In all, it is just a couple of scratches. Scars however are more consequential in comparison. They might be marked on our body, reminding us of a bad memory or a crowd-pleasing funny tale. They prove our humanity and that our flesh is indeed flesh. It is not perfect, but susceptible to breakage. 

As I gaze at the scratches on my hand, my mind drifts to Christ’s hands, “He was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:6). He has scars, not scratches. Traces left behind on His body that will always remind Him of what He did for us. Evidence to prove to us what He did for us. When I look at the tiny, insignificant, marks on my hand, I am tempted to be resentful towards my student. To harbor pride instead of praying for them. What does Jesus think when He looks at his nailed-pierced hands? What is His attitude? What is His response? Is it one of regret or resentment? Surely, not, for it says in 1 Peter 2:24, “For by His wounds we are healed,” as well as in Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” He looks at His scars and I imagine He is confident in what He did to receive them. 

Our sins nailed him to the cross. Our sins have left an imprint on our Savior, but they hold no jurisdiction now for His resurrected body. His scars will not disappear but will be a reminder of what He accomplished on our behalf. I am glad that they are scars and not scratches.

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of out faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 12:2