New blog from Greg Taylor

It’s the Truth: Jesus heals our scars
Do you have a great scar story? Do you have a tall tale of something that left its mark on your body? Growing up, my scars were a badge of honor. Each new mark had a story attached. One of those goes something like this:
Like many 10 year olds, I loved playing war in my neighborhood. The battles were fierce with many cries of “I got you…No you didn’t…You have to die for 30 seconds…You missed…” Truth be told, I was still playing these games at 13. This particular day our group of 8 guys had been waging war for about an hour. I decided to come around from behind the enemy base and attack. It was a new approach and required me to run the ditch at the back of our neighborhood. Just as I was approaching the base I was spotted. I took off like a shot. Ducking in and out of branches and hopping rocks, I was making a great escape. Until….One moment I am running at full speed, and the next I am laying on my back unable to breath. The problem…I had run full speed into a barb wire fence. It hit my chest below my ribs and ripped up to my neck. There I was breathless, bleeding and wondering “What would this scar look like?”
OK…Maybe it’s crazy to think about a scar at that moment. The real bummer is that the scar faded and now you can’t even tell it happened. The reality is that we all have scars. Some are physical, but the most painful scars are the ones we have on the inside. They are wounds that others don’t see, but are all too real. What about you? Do you have the scar of loneliness? What about the scar of being betrayed? Do you wrestle with the scar of rejection? If you do, you are not alone. In fact, everyone deals with significant scars.
There is a story about a man with some significant scars. You can find it in Mark 1:40-45. Here is a man with a real problem. Wait a second…it’s not what you think. Yes, the leprosy was a problem, but it was the emotional scars that really crippled the man. Just think about it…No one wanted to get near a leper – the scar of rejection…He could not be with his family or friends – the scar of loneliness…No one cared for his needs anymore – the scar of betrayal. There is no doubt the pain ran deep. Then came Jesus!!!
“Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. I am willing, he said. Be healed.” In an instant the man’s life changed. More than just the physical scars, Jesus healed him from the inside out. The Son of God touched a man who had not been touched in years. The scar of rejection gone!!! The Son of God embraced a man who had forgotten what a hug felt like. The scar of loneliness gone!! The Son of God took time to meet his needs. The scar of betrayal gone!! Jesus healed his scars.
Do you need to be embraced by Jesus? Do you need some scars removed. The truth is He is waiting to say “I am willing…be healed.” All you have to do is ask.