Hurt HandsHe said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. (Luke 24:38-40) Monday, Third Week of Easter Dear friends, The other day, my hands were hurting. I may have overdone it. I pruned our two Hawthorne trees out in front of our house with a pole trimmer, then chopped up all the branches so that they could be placed in our yard bin or given away as firewood. At the end of the day, I could hardly grasp and hold anything. My hands hurt but it was a good feeling. Job well done. With what have your hands been busy these days? Are you finding that your hands are doing different activities or more of the same? I invite you to think about how important your hands are. What would you do without hands? How would you work if you could not grasp or hold, type or touch, or do any other thing you normally do with your hands? Then think about what you are accomplishing with your hands? Are your hands saving lives, or helping others? Have you finished projects that had formerly been on the back burner? How did that make you feel? The day Jesus rose from the grave, he appeared to his disciples. The proof that he was alive and that he was not a ghostly apparition? He showed them his hands and his feet. He invited his followers to touch his hands. The wounds where the nails held him to the cross were still visible, exactly as the disciples had seen them on the day of his crucifixion. Jesus’ hands were raw and healing, but I wonder if he had the best feeling in the world. The job he was sent to do by his Father, to save the world from its sin, death, and the powers of evil, had been accomplished with his own hands. It was finished! Job well done! There is joy and satisfaction at sore hands. Rejoicing in our Redeemer, Pastor Langdon Reinke P.S. Hope you and your family are healthy and safe. We are in this together. We have help available if there are needs. Please let us know. |