Jesus could have easily healed the holes in his hands. Why did he let them remain?

After all, in his resurrection, all of him was healed, and not only healed but he became the prototype human for all of us to follow in his footsteps one day.

So why leave a scar?

Well, honestly I don’t know. But I wonder if part of the reason Jesus’ hands didn’t heal is the same reason he cried at the tomb of Lazarus, moments before resurrecting him.

Jesus wants us to know our grief is real to him, and not just a momentary bump in the road, or the montage of a movie.

Grief is a hole in the heart, much like the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet.

The Bible doesn’t shy away from grief, because grief is the hole where God’s comfort can enter and heal.

But often the healing doesn’t fully remove the hole. No, sometimes the scar and the mark remains.

This episode digs deeper into “typon” (τύπον meaning ‘mark, scar’) in John 20:25.

John 20:25 - “So the other disciples told [Thomas], “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Renee Emerson - reneeemerson.substack.com

(Renee is the author of the poetry collections Keeping Me Still (Winter Goose Publishing 2014), Threshing Floor (Jacar Press 2016), and Church Ladies (Fernwood Press, forthcoming). She is also the author of the middle grade novel “Why Silas Miller Must Learn to Ride a Bike.”

Habit Podcast, Ben Palpant: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ben-palpant-talks-to-poets

Banderpod, Ben Palpant: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-banderpod-s3-e9-ben-palpant/id1726742632?i=1000701703363

Tyler Staton: www.tylerstaton.com

Li-Young Lee: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li-Young_Lee

Robert Cording: rabbitroompoetry.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-robert-cordingben

My Links:

Bammerhab Site: www.bammerhab.com

Bammerhab Substack: bammerhab.substack.com

SDG Morgan’s Substack: sdgmorgan.substack.com

Thanks to:

• Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

• Dave Allam of Allam House for advanced audio techniques: sound.allamhouse.com

• Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew hypertext links

• Pixabay for sound effects (h/t jimena contreras & playsound)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bammerhab.substack.com