The Scars Still Would Have Been There
The scars still would have been there.
This thought crossed my mind a few months ago as I listened to a pastor speak about “Doubting Thomas.” The one who, when the disciples said Jesus had risen and appeared to them, said he wouldn’t believe it unless he saw Jesus’ scars for himself.
I’ve thought about this many times since then, how if Thomas had not seen Jesus’ scars, that wouldn’t have made them not real. The scars still would have been there.
And how does that apply to our lives? If there is a miracle we are praying for, are we blinded to what Jesus IS doing and has done because we are so focused on our singular prayer? Do we convince ourselves that it’s this miracle or nothing? Do we believe subconsciously that Jesus loves me, so He’ll move this mountain? If He doesn’t, do we question His love and goodness towards us? Do we act as if our entire relationship with Him depends upon whether or not He grants our most pressing concern?
If Thomas hadn’t seen Jesus’ scars, would He have forgotten the countless other miracles he’d seen Jesus perform before his very eyes? Would he have forgotten Jesus promised He would rise again after three days?
Think of how the world would have been affected if we didn’t receive the benefits of Thomas’s ministry. He was one of the ones who had a great impact sharing the gospel of Jesus after the resurrection. He was even killed because of it.
All of these ponderings have given me a new resolve: if I am praying for a miracle, I can’t become so consumed with it that I miss the millions of other miracles that God performs all around me. His blessings are everywhere.
Regardless of the answer we receive to our prayers, the scars are there. They are real. And they are on our behalf.
So as we pray, we believe in miracles. We believe God can still move mountains. And as we trust that He CAN, we trust Him still if He doesn’t.
Because He is sovereign. He knows what we do not. He is worthy of our trust. And we never lose sight of the scars.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
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