on the beauty that pain can bring

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching The Passion of the Christ (its on Netflix. if you havent seen it you should watch it) I went and saw it in the movie theater when it came out in 2004..but I didnt have the greatest experience. I will not say any names..but..the person i went to go see it with decided to take a bottle of whiskey into the movie theater..so I barely was able to watch the movie because I was in fear the whole time that someone would smell the terrible scent of it and the person i was with would be hauled to jail (they were underage) It surprises me that I wasnt drinking right along with them..the person I was in 2004 was..well..i guess ill just say an idiot. Even then, during a time in my life that I had no relationship, what so ever, with the Lord, I knew better. I remember sitting there with tears running down my face and the person I was with telling me how ridiculous I was being..we ended up leaving before the movie was over…so yesterday, I saw the end of the movie for the first time.

The movie is wonderful..it is powerful. I skipped some of the more gruesome scenes, like when Jesus was whipped, but for the most part Trinitee watched the whole thing. Some may think how terrible I am for letting a five year old watch a R rated movie..well think all you want. I want her to know at what price her salvation was bought. The things Jesus endured for us on Calvary were far worse than an R rating. I normally have a hard time getting her to watch anything that’s not a cartoon or has talking animals running around..but yesterday she hardly moved.  Since it’s in Aramaic, I read her the subtitles to some parts..but even without knowing the dialog she knew what was going on. I used to have a cd with the song Watch the Lamb on it, but it has been over a year since we’ve listened to it..shes smart though..when she saw the part when Jesus could no longer carry the cross and Simon of Cyrene was made to help, she said, “There’s Daddy Daddy and there’s his little boy!”

I was somewhat disappointed yesterday when the screen went black after Jesus died…why would they show how Christ was seemingly defeated without showing the final result of his victory, I thought. The screen was black for a moment and then a flash of bright light penetrated the darkness as the stone was being rolled away from the entrance of the tomb. The last scene of the movie shows Jesus stand up..he is now clean..his body is no longer covered with dried sweat and blood..his skin bears no bruises or lacerations from the whip..then the camera scrolls down to show the hole in his hand from the nail, and then the screen goes black and the credits start.  The last vision of Jesus’ nail scarred hand really affected me.

So many times I question the Lord and get upset with him for letting “bad” things happen to me. Just because I am a christian doesn’t mean that I wont be subjected to pain..sometimes I forget that. Pain is still able to affect the lives of even the most dedicated christian. The resurrection of Jesus is the utmost example of the rewards God gives to those who obey his will..but even here, we see evidence of pain – we see the scars in Jesus’ hand. Why did Jesus keep the scars in his hands, feet and side? During the time after he died he went and conquered death, hell and the grave..dont you think he would have been able to remove his scars?


Jesus’ scars were the only thing that would prove to Thomas that Jesus had risen..the only thing that made Thomas believe. What if the pain and the scars we carry are tools the Lord wants us to use to witness and to reach people living in doubt. What if the Lord were to allow one of his faithful followers to fall ill with cancer just so they would be able to witness to the lost man in the hospital bed beside them..would you say that the Lord is wrong? No matter how painful things in life may be..stay strong in the Lord..seek his will..pray that, from out of your scars..from out of your pain, he will cause beautiful things to rise.