John 20: 19-29
Let Me Touch Your Hands
A little boy came home and sat to have lunch. His mother reminded him to wash his hands before eating. The boy resented. “Let me look at your hands,” she said. “These germs will make you sick!” Although still unwilling, he went and washed. As he got back to the table, his father started praying: “Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for this food…” The boy was furious. “You talk to me about germs and I can’t see them. You talk to me about Jesus and I can’t see him either,” he said.
Hands… Have you looked at your hands lately? Have you watched any hands lately? Have you had any accident that disabled your hand for a while? How was the feeling? Hands are miraculous. Besides being so useful in our daily life, hands tell stories. They tell a life story.
Shortly after His resurrection, when the disciples were together, Jesus came and stood among them and “showed them his hands and side” (vs 19). His hands comforted the troubled disciples. Looking at Hi s hands, they remembered the same hands
patting the young children
making mud and touching the blind man’s eyes
touching Zacchaeus and visiting him
comforting the weak and the outcast.
Now they were looking at the same hands with nail marks on them. The hands of their dear Lord …
We do not know why Thomas was not there with the other disciples that evening. Perhaps he was disappointed or needed to be lonely. How could his Lord be crucified? He could not grasp all that had happened.
All of us experience periods of disappointment, especially when some expectation has not been realized. Withdrawals are helpful for a short while. They are dangerous when they last for long periods without any fellowship.
Although Thomas was away that evening, he soon got back into fellowship with his brothers, the disciples. A week later, when he was among them, Jesus came and stood there. He showed Thomas his hands and said; “Put your finger here; see my hands” (vs. 27).
The hands of Jesus tell us of his suffering for us.
Have you seen the hands of Jesus? Have you been touched by his love?
To be continued in the English sermon.