Day Twelve
There are many things about ourselves we are called to consider during the season of Lent: our sin and need for repentance, our mortality, our need to embrace self-denial as we lay down our lives…all of them opportunities for self-reflection that are fruitful and much-needed. We spend a good deal of time during these 40 days looking inward to the state of our soul.
But we are also called to look outward during Lent as we consider the sacrifice of Jesus, a practice which asks us to turn our gaze towards the brutal reality of what happened at the cross. We might embrace this call a bit more reluctantly, hesitant to confront the depth of the pain Christ suffered on our behalf. But it is an inescapable piece of our Lenten path, one that can’t be ignored without missing the heart of what this season is really all about.
Meditating on the wounds of Christ is an integral part of Lent, because the wounds of Christ are an inseparable part of our salvation.
It’s important to note that when Thomas is wrestling with doubt after the resurrection, it is the wounds of Jesus which bring him to the place of recognition and worship. The body of Jesus still bears the marks of his horrific death. As one of the characters in the Sensible Shoes book series reflects in her journal:
“…the testimony of Easter is that suffering isn’t erased from Jesus’ resurrected body. His wounds have been made glorious. They point to what he has done and how the Father has been glorified in the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son. The wounds tell the story of our salvation and God’s victory over the forces of evil, of death. Life wins.” (An Extra Mile p. 274).
The wounds of Christ tell the story of our salvation. As difficult as it might be to spend time reflecting on them, it’s a necessary part of understanding the depth of what God has done for us. And understanding the depth of what God has done for us enables us to understand more deeply the breadth of his love for us.
In the wounds of Jesus we find the fulfillment of one of the most moving prophecies in all of scripture:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)
Wounds that heal. That’s what we find in the nail-scarred hands and the sword-pierced side of Jesus. Because of those wounds, we can be made whole. Because of those wounds, all the things that rise to the surface in our time of self-reflection can be met head-on by the transforming love of God. There has been nothing else, there is nothing else, and there never will be anything else that can accomplish that for us. For this reason, we do well to meditate on those wounds as we make our way through this Lenten season. As Pope Francis said in a Lenten homily a few years ago:
“Enter into His wounds and contemplate the love in His heart for you, and you, and you, and me, for everyone.”—Pope Francis, 3/2/2018
Only His wounds can heal the broken
Only His wounds can save us from sin
Only His wounds give faith to the faithless
Only His wounds can restore us again
Read the rest of the lyrics here (scroll down to see).
Questions for Reflection
1) Do you sense any resistance in yourself to the idea of contemplating the wounds of Jesus? If so, what might be behind that resistance, and how might you offer it to God in prayer?
2) The 12th century monk Bernard of Clairvaux preached these words in a sermon around 1130 A.D.:
“Where can the weak find a place of firm security and peace, except in the wounds of the Savior? Indeed, the more secure is my place there, the more he can do to help me.”
What do you think he meant by “The more secure is my place there, the more he can do to help me?” What does it mean to be “secure” in the wounds of Christ? Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal that security to you in a new way.
3) What does the phrase “his wounds have been made glorious” inspire in you? What might that communicate to us about our own woundedness?
4) Michael Card’s song says the wounds of Christ “heal the broken,” “save us from sin,” give faith to the faithless,” and “restore us.” Which of these seems to resonate more deeply with your soul during this time of your life?
5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”—1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)