There is a story told about the bombing of a city in World War ll. A massive, marble statue of Jesus was nearly destroyed. Digging through the rubble the following morning, the townspeople found the pieces of the damaged sculpture and, hearts broken, began to collectively mourn. The statue had long been a symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.
Experts and craftsmen were surprisingly able to restore most of the figure, but its hands had been broken so badly, they were beyond repair. Eventually, someone placed a thought-provoking sign at base of the statue of Jesus that read: “You are my hands.”
Which begs the question, “Are you?”
During this sobering season of Lent, I often find myself thinking of Jesus and all the people He touched during His three-year ministry on planet Earth. How many blind eyes received vision at His touch? How many leprous bodies were healed? How many hungry were fed as His hands broke loaves and fish? How many twisted legs were straightened? How many dear children were held and blessed?
He was tireless in His work, the work His Father had given Him to do here. Work that compelled Him by His great love for us to willingly surrender those healing, gentle hands to Roman spikes. Yes, He finished His work of reconciliation and rescue of mankind at the cross.
He has the nail-scarred hands to prove it.
But my work isn’t finished.
Listen to what Ephesians 2:10 in the Message says, “(God) creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”
Like that sign on the sculpture reminds us, “You are my hands.” What work or service or touch would His hands be about in your neighborhood, in your school, at your job, in your home, or at your church today? Whatever He would be doing, wherever He would be at work, whomever He would be “touching,” that’s where we should be and what we should be doing too. There is a lot of “good work” to be done and our Father planned for us to accomplish it. He intends to keep our hands very busy. What a privilege…
Won’t you think of ways you can be His hands right now? Write that card, bake that pie, rake that yard, babysit that child, drive that neighbor, touch that hand, or knock on that door. The needs are great; the laborers few.
Can He count on you?
Can He count on me?
Will you surrender your hands and be His?
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands… (Psalm 90:17)
—Eileen Hill
