Paschal Homily: Glorious Imperfections

I feel compelled to speak for a moment on something in the Resurrection which is most peculiar. It is seen quite graphically in the body of our risen Lord, yet is passed over in the gospel writers as almost unremarkable. Yet I believe for that part of Christ's body which lives in this 21st century America, we cannot afford to let our eyes miss the fact that Jesus' frame bears all the scars and signs of torture which he built up in his earthly mission.

I think we tend to forget just how grotesque and earthy our holy religion is. Our heritage of symbolism lies in the slaying of rams and bulls, splattering their blood over an altar and burning the carcass to ashes. Does it occur to any of us just what we are really saying when we happily sing "He who washed us with his blood..."? That is gross. Or have we considered that whenever we take the bread of Communion, we are proclaiming through visible illustration to all that Jesus of Nazareth's flesh was torn, in public display, and that we are united to that unappetizing historical reality, just as surely as the digested bread becomes part of our sinew? I think we might find ourselves more gentle towards unbelieving ears if, when we say "Christ died for sinners," we pause to consider the strangeness of what we are commanding them to believe.

But I digress from my main point. Christ Jesus, Risen King of Creation, has holes through his wrists, and in his side. I dare suppose that he has marks on his forhead from the thorns and stripes on his back from the scourge. He has broken death itself, his body is certainly unlike his mortal flesh as it passes through earthly matter, and his disciples did not even recognize him at first, yet the Man of God's choosing still bears every scar from his laboring life. This makes me think of the implications regarding our bodily resurrection.

A perfect, glorious body will still have marks of "imperfection." As Christ endured trials, so shall his people, and as Christ bears the signs of his trial in eternity, so shall we. And yet Christ is beautiful. We shall be beautiful. We shall be scarred, and beautiful. The resurrection of Jesus Christ casts our common body images to the wind. The next time you look at the mark you don't like about yourself, or you see a scar on your spouse's body, stop for a moment and realize the truth--by the risen Son of God, this sign of inadequacy will be made a part of eternal holiness and beauty, and of the spotless Bride presented to Him on his long awaited wedding day.

What happens to us in this life--emotionally, spiritually, physically--it all matters, and causes lasting injuries of all kinds. But in Jesus, these wounds become mere scars, memories of how much He has redeemed us. And the brokenness we expect from scars will be overthrown because He is risen. He is risen indeed.