I’ve been pondering hands and what they tell us about people.
Hands that are calloused tell us something about the working life of a person. Working with a shovel, guitar strings or a chef’s knife can bring those marks and textures that tell us some things.
I worked at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the early 1980s when the bottles were still glass, I’ve got some nifty scars from that. I worked for parks and recreation at the cemetery and watering trees, had some callouses that demonstrated my work with a shovel.
When I worked as a waiter my hands were used to carrying hot plates, I learned to test the baby’s bath water with my elbow or I might not realize it was too hot!
We have just come through the Easter season, the focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus. He grew up in the shop of a carpenter, I expect his hands were those of a carpenter, likely rough and perhaps banged up a bit, strong hands.
Jesus was very hands-on. During His ministry time on earth he used His hands a lot to touch people; the rich, the poor, the sick, the lame, the sinful, the small children.
The unclean Leper, an untouchable, knelt before Jesus and said “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean”. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing, be clean!” Immediately the man was cured of his leprosy (Matt 8). When they came to arrest Jesus in the garden and Peter cut of the servant’s ear Jesus touched the man’s ear and healed him” (Luke 22). People brought babies to Jesus to touch them and bless them, when the disciples tried to show them away, Jesus said “the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18). Peter jumped out of the boat when Jesus was walking on the water and started to sink, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him (Matt 14).
These same hands were nailed to the cross as part of His sacrificial offering to atone for our sins. The two dejected disciples on the road to Emmaus walked with but did not recognize Jesus as He explained why the Messiah had to die. It was not until they convinced Him to sit and eat with them, and he picked up the loaf in His hands to break it and give the blessing that they recognized it was Jesus. The hands that have provided.
When Thomas doubted Jesus had risen from the dead like the other disciples said, Jesus appeared and invited Thomas to put his finger through the nail hole. Thomas immediately confessed his faith in Jesus as Lord and risen saviour. He said, “you believe because you put your fingers in the nail holes of my hands, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Jesus invites us to trust in Him, to place ourselves in the security of His capable hands, His proven hands, for He can hold us into eternity.
