Scars That Preach

Adrian Rogers served as the pastor Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee for over 30 years. During one of his sermon, he famously offered up these words as a sermon illustration: "Indeed, your scars may be your greatest ministry. Just as the scars of Jesus convinced Thomas, perhaps your scars will convince someone today." Rogers is reflecting on John 20, where Jesus directs a doubting Thomas to look his scars. But how might our scars be our greatest ministry?

For starters, it’s best to admit that we have them. We’ve all experienced some measure of suffering as believers, whether it be explicitly for the sake of Jesus or the suffering that’s common to mankind. For the believer, all suffering is Christian suffering because how we suffer, whether persecution or a bad diagnosis, says something about Jesus, in whom we believe. This means that our past experiences of suffering—our scars—preach a message to those around us.

As far as the prospect of our scars being our greatest ministry, a couple of things come to mind. First, our suffering displays our hope in the gospel. I love what the apostle Peter writes about suffering and hope:

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” - 1 Peter 3:14-16

Because we of our future hope, we don’t fear the same things our unbelieving neighbors fear, whether persecutions or losses. Sure, we have moments where we are touched by fear; times when our faith wavers. But because we have the promise of ultimate restoration, we can calmly answer our persecutors and bear present suffering. Likewise, we can weather hard providences—the same ones our neighbors do—with a firm faith that may bend, but never breaks. Our hope in the gospel when we suffer points to the hope we have in Jesus.

Secondly, it highlights the greatness of Jesus because we’re willing to suffer to be near to him. In Acts 14, we see just how great the disciples’ hope in Jesus must have been. “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (vv. 21-22) Luke describes suffering as a kind of pre-condition for entry into the kingdom. There’s much to say about this, but one thing we can point out: the Apostles’ and their associates, and indeed all Christians value the kingdom of Jesus so much that they are willing to suffer greatly for it. Many have even died for the sake of the kingdom. Those times you endured suffering for the sake of Jesus—those scars—they preach about the inestimable worth of knowing and being known by Jesus. Therefore, do not hide your scars, whether they be times of persecution, church hurt, losses, or whatever you’ve suffered. They are markers of the all-surpassing worth of Christ. Preach the gospel with your lips most of all, but let your scars preach too!