M-G: 8.16.20 // The Scars Are Coming

Do you know what is easy to remember, hard to forget? Scars, yes, life’s tattoos without ink! Naturally, the number of scars is predicated on our lifestyle or on how accident-prone we are. Ever have someone tell you, “You’re an accident waiting to happen? It is best to identify those people and stay clear! Then there are those medical scars depending on how sick we get. Police and soldiers are definitely subject to scars of their trade

Now, there are a host of unseen scars that are unfortunately easy to remember, hard to forget, too, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the scars I am referring primarily to here in this article are the visible scars on the skin, our largest organ. They are mostly scars not of our choosing but comes with the territory along with some unseen scars for the glory of God.

My dad had a heart valve replacement over 15 years ago, and they opened up his chest and replaced it with a calf valve and closed up his chest with staples. It hurt to look at his scar; it hurts to still think about it!

I knew of this young seminarian who walked with a limp from an accident on a motorcycle. He testified that he had been running from doing the Lord’s will in becoming a preacher of the Gospel. Then he was involved in a motorcycle accident that nearly took his life. He admitted that his limp reminded him every day that it does not pay to run from God’s will for your life.

Incidentally, when his accident took place, there “happened” to be an ambulance coming up the road at the same time. He later learned that he would have bled out and died from his injuries had not the EMT’s had been there at the time of the accident. Call it coincidental, if you will, but those of us who know Yahweh know there is no such thing as coincidence in the life of a believer. We prefer to call it providence. Tim was a great and compassionate person and a very inspiring speaker in school. I shall never forget him nor his testimony.

Having scars do not necessarily mean that you were guilty of sinning in knowledge and were punished at one time. If a believer experiences something bad nowadays, there is this ancient faulty thinking that God must be getting someone’s attention, and it can only mean that there must be sin in the camp!

Now, chastening could be a possibility, but there may be an alternative reason that Yahweh is allowing but has nothing to do with sin, as in the case of Job. I fear that there are way too many ignorant, self-righteous believers who have this default setting that is narrow in scope and very critical, like Job’s dear “friends,” Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar who was thinking that sin was in Job’s camp.

They may not come right out and say it, but there’s a bunch of believers that think the way of EB&Z. But here is the real deal, having scars does not necessarily mean that you were guilty of sinning in knowledge and were punished for it. Why do we think that God Almighty is sitting on the edge of His throne waiting to drop the hammer when we mess up?

Case in point, the catastrophic devastation that Job sustained was so terrible that EB&Z could only reach the opinion that their friend Job had some hidden sin in his life and had been covering it up until God exposed it! “How else could you explain this catastrophe? Yahweh doesn’t allow things like this to happen to people who love and live for Him, right?” Seriously, with friends like these kicking you when you are down, who needs enemies!

In the final analysis, we see in Job 42 that EB&Z were in serious trouble with Yahweh,

My wrath [Heb., aph, also translated “anger”] is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has (Job 42:7). 

The remedy to avoiding Yahweh dealing with them according to their folly (speaking wrong things about Him and making erroneous allegations against Job) was for EB&Z to offer up for themselves a burnt offering, and (hoped to God) that Job would pray for them; apparently, Yahweh would not accept the prayers of EB&Z (Job 42:8). Fortunately for them, they were wise enough to see the writing on the wall and did as Yahweh instructed them, and Job prayed for his accusers (Job 42:9).

Why would Job do that? Because of his spiritual character before and after the storm hit. Here is what Yahweh said of Job, My servant, none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, and one who fears God and shuns evil (Job 1:8). Though that is some spiritual resume, Job, like any of us, wasn’t perfect by any stretch; he was a sinner like you and me who know Yahweh, but Job’s prayer for EB&Z spared them from Yahweh’s wrath (Job 42:8).

Even in Job’s imperfections, he was a spiritual giant among his peers. He was eventually restored two-fold (Job 42:10), but keeping it real, there were still ten graves after the dust settled that wasn’t there before the Satanic attack (Job 1:2, 18-19). Job may have suffered skin damaged from all of the boils. The loss of his 10 children in this spiritual warfare between Yahweh and Satan was an unseen scar easy to remember, hard to forget (cf. Job 1:5).

What a testament of Job to pray for those finger-pointing fools! Pre-judging another believer should be a warning to all believers (Mt 7:1-5, avoid hypocritical judging; cf. judging righteously, Jn 7:24).

The Apostle Paul was another spiritual giant who had a host of scars. He received the full measure of punishment (Deut 25:3) on five separate occasions by the Jews (2 Cor 11:24, forty stripes minus one). In other words, he was administered 195 lashes to his body in his ministry for Christ (read of some of the other things Paul suffered in 2 Cor 11:22-28).

It is debated on how many cords normally comprised this whip. Some believe the average whip had three thongs or cords or tails. Each stroke on the body of a three-tailed whip would constitute 3 stripes. This was probably for expediency and easier accounting to avoid exceeding the legal number of stripes that could be administered: 3 x 13 = 39 (Deut 25:3).1

Now, this whip with cords was nothing like the one Jesus made to cleanse the temple (Jn 2:15, a whip of cords). It wasn’t primarily for neurological discomfort but to drive the money-changers out of the temple.

The only whip I remember growing up was my father’s big leather belt (or “lash”) that he would use on me and my brother for misbehavior or not following orders. It would sting alright, and our snowy white bottoms had red belt-marks across it. We could have informed our Father that it was barbaric to punish us so, but that word wasn’t part of our vocabulary at the time (thank God) for it would have only exacerbated our punishment!  

My mother would avail herself of a “rod” to administer correction for me on rare occasions though our father was the official whipper! I preferred mother spanking me for obvious reasons. I recall on one occasion my mother sending me out to cut a switch from a tree that she was planning on using to punish me. I brought back a cherry twig in defiance; that didn’t end well. She simply said to me, according to the original order, “Go cut me a switch and come back here,” nothing more. I figured she left it up to my interpretation. I preferred being “switched” with a twig rather than one with a little thickness to it. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I am not crazy! 

The Roman whip used on Jesus prior to His crucifixion (Jn 19:1) was cruel and inhumane and maximized neurological pain; something the Romans were historically good at. It was designed to take the fight out of the condemned prior to the crucifixion. This multi-tailed whip of more than three was to implement severe physical punishment.

These Roman tails were individually weighted on the ends or throughout the lash with metal, broken bones, rocks, or anything that would penetrate and shred the skin. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the brutality of such a device as if crucifixion was not enough of a cruel and inhumane way to die. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, died for speaking the truth, for being the truth (cf. Jn 14:6).

I think Paul would agree that being wounded for the truth is worth bearing rather than a lie, yes? It’s the stigmata of our identity and service to God. Paul was the real deal unlike the Judaizers in Galatia who had no resume of suffering for Christ. their only criticism of him was for bypassing Jewish traditions.

I bear the marks of Jesus on my body (Gal 6:17b, NET).

Marks (Gk., stigmata) could be in reference of the wounds and scars received in service in the Lord from persecution (cf. 1 Cor 4:11; 2 Cor 4:10-11; 6:5, 9; 11:24-25), which is the general interpretation here, or it may also serve as a brand (brand-marks of Jesus, NASB), indicating ownership (branding of slaves and cattle with the mark of the master, that kind of thing), or incorporating both ideas. There is truth to the inclusion of both.

In Paul’s benediction to the Galatians (Gal 6:17-18), he addressed the Judaizers challenging his apostleship and message, let no one trouble me. Why would he say that? For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus (v17, NJKV). He silenced the criticism of the Judaizer for they had no stigmata, suggesting they were not of Christ. These visible marks were the visible evidence that he had endured persecution for the sake of Christ.  

But it also substantiated his claim that he belonged to God for he was a literal slave (Gk., doulos) of God: Rom 1:1, a slave of Jesus Christ; Gal 1:10, a slave of Christ; Titus 1:1, a slave of God. Even  the Lord’s half-brother, James, considered himself a slave of God (Jas 1:1), so did Peter (2 Pet 1:1, a slave of Jesus Christ), Jude, the Lord’s half-brother (Jude 1:1, a slave of Jesus Christ), and Epaphras (Col 4:12, a slave of Christ).

Going back to Paul, note a truer, literal rendering of Titus 1:1a,

Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Did you notice the contrast on how he saw his relationship with God and the balance of two antithetical ideas? He saw himself as a literal slave of God, as one having no rights or authority to himself but having at the same time, the authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ! And he with the help of the Holy Spirit struck a balance between these two different concepts or positions with the inclusion of the coordinating conjunction, and.

Much could be expanded upon here! Suffice to say that the former (slave) implies humility while the latter (apostle) suggests authority. Yes, we are children of the King of Kings, Sons and daughters of God! But how often do you hear the exaltation of being a slave of God? Too many have the attitude, “I’m the slave of no one! It’s my body; I do as I please with it!”

When has the word “slave” not been negatively charged? May I suggest a practical meaning to this literal translation of the Greek word doulos as “slave” that challenges your thinking in a different direction? I wish I could take credit for it, but this definition came from a beloved professor of mine back in my days of formal education and stuff,

“A slave is one whose will is lost in the will of the Master.”

If you embrace that definition, what does that suggest? If our will is not lost in the will of Yahweh, we are declaring to others we are not a slave of God! We are either a runaway slave who has forgotten he or she is not their own (1 Cor 6:19-20), or we do not know Christ (Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 2:14)!

How did Paul endure all of those scar-producing persecutions for the faith?2 He simply loved Jesus more than life itself. He knew he was going to suffer for the faith as he caused others to greatly suffer (cf. Acts 9:16; 20:23), but suffered willingly he did for the cause of Christ after his conversion. His will was truly lost in the will of the Master. Can we say that?

Every physical scar has a story to tell, yes? Some of my scars come with a reminder and serve as a warning that it doesn’t pay to disobey or be out of God’s will; scars make it easy to remember and hard to forget. Other scars on my body have nothing to do with disobedience; they are simply life’s various tattoos without ink. I also think that I am not above misinterpreting a scar.  

Jesus had some scars. In fact, the only thing man-made in heaven are the scars on His wrists and feet from the nails (Psa 22:16; Zech 12:10; Mt 27:35; Mk 15:25; Lk 23:23; 24:39-40; Jn 19:16; 20:25-27, 28) and the spear piercing His one side (Jn 19:34, 37, Rev 1:7). Incidentally, these references are worth going through; for this crucifixion ordeal with Jesus was on our behalf.

Candidly speaking, I wish I had more scars (stigmata) on my body that were for the cause of Christ as our brother, Richard Wurmbrand, who spoke of the incompatibility between Christianity and Communism in his book, Tortured for Christ, rather than from accidents, medically related, or from disobedience to his will. Be careful what you ask for, right? 

I think we have reached a time in America where we may not be insulated or free from scars for the faith if we take a stand for Jesus. Such hatred today toward those of conservative values is troubling and Satanic. Those who ally themselves with such anti-biblical ideologies for political purposes are of the devil, too, including those claiming to be believers.

Either way, scars have a way of making some things easy to remember, hard to forget to bring glory to God at all times! If we live long enough, barring the rapture, we may just see some of those marks (stigmata) Paul was talking about in Gal 6:17.  Let me ask you a couple of questions.

Is your will lost in the will of the Master? Would you count it all joy that suffering for the sake of Christ is the highest honor possible? Until you reach eternity, what are the marks of your love and loyalty to Christ, revealing that you are the real deal?

Our culture is not at the physically hurting, life-threatening persecution stage, yet, but I think it is edging there! The scars are coming for genuine Christians! What brand-marks (stigmata) of Jesus do you bear on your body? Would you bear any on your body? Jesus told His disciples, If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (Jn 15:20). Barring the rapture, the scars are coming for us who faithfully declare the name of Christ right here in the good old US of A. I prefer going in the rapture, but scars have a way of revealing who is of the truth and who is not.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isa 53:5). <><

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1. The maximum number of stripes that were allowed by Mosaic Law was 40 (2 Cor 11:24; Deut 25:1-3). The Jews lowered that number to 39 to have a settled rule established to avoid exceeding the legal number that could be administered and subjecting the one applying the scourging to culpability by breaking the law of 40. Jesus warned that His followers would be scourged (Mt 10:17; cf. 2 Tim 3:12). Do you truly believe that? This usually happens when our rule of life, based on the Scriptures, collides with the values of the world.

2. The detailed regulations for scourging are in the Mishnah, which is the book in which the Jewish traditional law was codified. ‘They bind his two hands to a pillar on either side, and the minister of the synagogue lays hold on his garments – if they are torn, they are tom, if they are utterly rent, they are utterly rent – so that he bares his chest. A stone is set behind him on which the minister of the synagogue stands with a strap of calf-hide in his hand, doubled and re-doubled, and two other straps that rise and fall thereto. The handpiece of the strap is one handbreadth long and one handbreadth wide, and its end must reach to his navel (i.e. when the victim is struck on the shoulder the end of the strap must reach the navel). He gives him one third of the stripes in front and two thirds behind, and he may not strike him when he is standing or when he is sitting but only when he is bending down ... and he that smites smites with one hand and with all his might. If he dies under his hand, the scourger is not culpable. But if he gives him one stripe too many, and he dies, he must escape into exile because of him.’ That is what Paul suffered five times, a scourging so severe that it was liable to kill a man” (Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, on 2 Cor 11:24).