Date: April 4, 2024 

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Sermon Title: “Still Carrying the Wound?”

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Bob Jon

You can also listen on Podcast from iTunes and Spotify. Search for “Podcasting from Rev. Bob Jon.”

When my younger brother was 11 years old, he got a big scar on his shoulder. During the summer vacation, it was our routine that many kids in the town took their bikes, went out in the morning, and came home in the evening. We went everywhere in the town, to play in the school playground, to the river to fish or swim, or to the mountains. When the sun was setting on the horizon, it was time to go home and have dinner with their family. I was home but my brother was not there. So, my mother asked me to go and find him. I took my bike and started going to the places where I could find him. 

After riding around the town, I was on my way home and found my brother surrounded by a couple of his friends. What happened was that the handle of his bike, because it was passed down from me to him, broke into two pieces. He fell while he was riding and unfortunately, landed on a big rock with his face. He was bleeding and almost passed out, saying some unrecognizable words. So, I ditched my bike, carried him on my back, and ran to my home. My parents were shocked to discover what happened. And my father immediately took him to the ER. He came home with stitches here and there on his face and shoulder. 

 Thankfully, the scar on his face was minimal. It was more scratches and they quickly disappeared after a couple of months. But the scar on his shoulder was just too big and would not go away. And it became shameful for him to be exposed to others. A few years later, I went away to college. I was occupied with my own life in the city, new friends, and new experiments. During the vacation, I came home and found out that my brother had plastic surgery to remove the scar on his shoulder. It was still visible. But at least, the big lump was gone and looked much better than before. 

We also carry scars in many ways. They could be physical ones from surgery. They could be from unfortunate accidents. These scars are visible ones people might ask about them cautiously how we came to have them. However, some of us could carry scars ingrained in our hearts. These are invisible ones not easily recognizable by others unless we share our deepest stories of pain and wounds with them. These scars are sometimes expressed in our words or actions unconsciously, often leading us to react strongly or even aggressively to possible threats or trauma. It is our survival instinct. 

When we go through a painful divorce or separation, we need some time to heal from that experience. But we might still carry some scars or wounds whether we blame another person or ourselves. When we are laid off from our jobs, we carry some scars in our hearts, feeling unappreciated for our sacrifice and contribution for all those years. We wrestle with low self-esteem, feeling constantly compared with others and misjudged by them. Some of us may carry the scars of grief and loss. There is a saying in Korea that “when your parents die, you bury them at the cemetery. But when your child dies, you bury them in your heart.” It is like a giant hole in your heart. 

On the first day of the week, Mary came to the disciples and shared how she met the risen Christ. She said, “I have seen the Lord!” But they could not believe her words. Maybe they thought she had gone mad, possibly driven by her grief. So, they gathered in a house, presumably not standing out in the town, and locked the doors because they feared others who might report about their location. When Jesus called them to follow him three years before, they were probably excited to see the miracles he was performing. They looked for some reward or promotion over one another and dreamed of seeing the new world. However, their dreams were shattered as they saw their Messiah, their teacher, arrested, beaten by the soldiers, and crucified on the cross. 

If they were caught, they might face the same fate. So, they gathered and locked the door because of their fear, uncertainty, and trauma. In the evening of that day, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” And he showed his hands and side to them. His hands had the mark of nails, and his side had the mark of a spear. Isn’t that interesting? If he was risen from death and came back to life, why not remove the scars when they might remind him and others of the trauma, shame, and death from the crucifixion? I shared the story about my brother getting plastic surgery to remove the scar on his shoulder. But I found out later that it was my mother who insisted that. 

Hey, we are a people of resurrection, not a people of Good Friday. The tomb was empty! Let’s celebrate that he came back to life, giving us new life in God! But he showed up with the holes in his hands and side. Just like some of us who came to this place this morning, still carrying the wounds, scars, and holes in our hearts. And maybe that is why we need Jesus who still carries the wound from the cross through which we can understand his identity as the suffering Messiah. Only the One who has gone through the betrayal, abandonment, loneliness, death, or even violence can understand those who wrestle with the same things today. 

Here is a story Henri Nouwen shares in his book. “Rabbi Yoshua ben Levi came upon Elijah the prophet while he was standing at the entrance of Rabbi Simeron ben Yohai’s cave. He asked Elijah, “When will the Messiah come?” Elijah replied, “Go and ask him yourself.” “Where is he?” “Sitting at the gates of the city.” “How shall I know him?” “He is sitting among the poor covered with wounds. The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and then bind them up again. But he unbinds only one at a time and then binds it up again, saying to himself, ‘Perhaps I shall be needed to help someone else bind up their wounds, and if so, I must always be ready so as not to delay for a moment.” He is the Messiah, the wounded healer.”

Christ who still has the scar, the mark of nail. He is the wounded healer. He also calls us to be like him. We all have our own wounds. Sometimes, our wounds push into a remote place of our hearts where we lock the doors behind. We are fearful not knowing who might come in and hurt us deeply. We can be filled with regrets blaming who caused our misery today or when things started going in the wrong direction. Who is responsible for the failures of our dreams and plans. Why we were not there for someone who we love but failed to be there for them. And Jesus walks through the locked doors of our hearts and says, “Peace be with you.” 

And Christ does not finish his words by merely giving peace to our body and heart. He also says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” As the women who found the tomb empty and heard the angel say, “He is not here. He has been resurrected. And he is going ahead of you to Galilee. So, go and tell others what you saw.” Our witness to the empty tomb, the resurrection of Christ gives us a mission. Go and tell others what you have seen. Go and offer others the peace that Christ can only offer to us today. Go and forgive the sins of others, as God has already forgiven them through the love of Christ, as God has already forgiven our sins through the cross where Christ died for us. 

When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2017, some women in my former church came to me and said, “Pastor Bob, did you know that I am a breast cancer survivor? I know how devastating it can be to the patient and their family. I just want you to know that I am here for you. I pray for you.” Nouwen says, “The main question is not ‘How can we hide our wounds?’ so we don’t have to be embarrassed, but ‘How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?’” As a follower of Christ, this woman was showing her wound and sharing her story so she could bring healing to others. 

Maybe we can be like her too. We all have some tears, sorrows, scars, and wounds in our hearts. But God has God’s way of turning them into an instrument of healing and transformation for others. Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Maybe it be so, as God continues to walk with us in our journey, turning our tears into laughter, our wounds into healing for one another.

Amen.