Religion Today: The Scars on His Hands
Guest Writer Spotlight: The scars on His hands – By Richard Lewis
I had been reading Luke 24:36-40 recently and I noticed something I had not seen before. When Jesus appeared to His followers following the resurrection, He actually didn’t say very much at that encounter.
Now there are some things he could have said. He could have said, “Peter how could you have denied me three times even after I warned you it would happen.” He could have asked, “Why did you all run away in the garden when the soldiers came to arrest me?” He could have said, “Where were you when I needed you?” or “Why did you fall asleep when I wanted your companionship?” But he didn’t say any of those things.
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He could see they had fears and doubts and questions and He addressed all these by simply encouraging them to look at His hands and His feet. In Luke 24:38-40 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
When Thomas was present, Jesus again encouraged him to examine those wounds. In John 20:27 He told Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and My God!”
I asked myself what was so important about them seeing those scars on His Hands and feet. And then it occurred to me that those scars told a story all by themselves. They spoke softly and tenderly of the incredible pain and suffering that He bore for us. They spoke of His humanity and yet His Divinity. They spoke of the miracle of New Life of the Resurrection, God’s Power, God’s Grace, and they boldly shouted a message of God’s Love.
Those scars spoke of the righteous judge of Heaven who pronounced us guilty for our sin and indifference to our Creator, but then he stepped down from the bench, removing His royal robe of authority and coming around the front of the bench He paid the fine we could never pay ourselves, with His own Son.
If you have doubts, like we all do sometimes, if you have things you have done and failed the Lord, like we all have, let us embrace the Lord’s words when He says to us not words of condemnation, but instead He says to us, “Look at my hands and my feet.”
Oh what a wonderful Heavenly Father. Oh what a Savior.
Richard Lewis is a graduate of Arizona State University (Advertising) and California Baptist University (Computer Information Systems). Richard and his wife Sue met while they served as staff members at Campus Crusade for Christ for 8 years in the 1970’s. Richard served in the Campus Ministry at University of Texas at El Paso, Louisiana Tech and at the International Headquarters in San Bernardino, California.
Following their ministry in Campus Crusade Richard was the owner and manager of a bicycle shop in Riverside California for 19 years. After retraining in the computer field at California Baptist University, Richard worked as a Information Systems contractor and employee at Boeing for 17 years. Richard has written over 150 published articles in Information Systems and Computing publications including Windows Magazine and Windows Scripting Solutions. Richard has served in a leadership role as a Deacon and Elder in several churches as well as being a meditation presenter and Men’s Ministry coordinator.
Richard has written hundreds of meditations and devotionals that have been used in church and small group meetings. Many of these have been published in The Upper Room and Racers For Christ publications and on their web sites.
In 2021 Richard published a collection of his devotionals. These are available in a Kindle and paperback format on Amazon (ISBN 979-8705738878) “Life Stories to Uplift and Encourage”.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.