John 20:20
Put your hand over your heart to feel it beat or on your chest to feel it rise and fall as you breathe. Spend a few minutes paying attention to this rhythm of your physical body.
Listen.
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. – John 20:20
Reflect.
Right after the story of the resurrection, John’s gospel calls us to the disciples and their fearful gathering. They’ve gotten Mary Magdalene’s news that she has seen the resurrected Lord, but they’re still locked away in a room by themselves out of fear. Since they won’t come to him, Jesus comes to them. He appears in their midst and wishes them peace.
How does Jesus reassure them in their fear and confusion? What does he offer to give them peace? He shows them his body. He lets them look at his hands and side – possibly to confirm the wounds from his crucifixion, but maybe simply because they had seen those same hands and feet out at work during their years of ministry. He breathes the Holy Spirit into their midst from that same body that walked with them, prayed with them, and now stands before them resurrected.
It’s always fascinating to me that Jesus doesn’t come back in some newly-perfect, otherworldly body. He’s flesh and bone like everyone else, wounds and all. He may have died and returned, conquered death itself, and demonstrated God’s power over evil, but he still has an actual, physical, human body like anyone else. He returns in that same flesh that has touched lepers, shared meals, and held sacred texts. That body means something.
I keep coming back to the trust it shares: our bodies mean something. Jesus comes to us in human flesh as a baby. He shows concern for people and their physical selves through healing, feeding, and even bringing back to life. When he is resurrected, he doesn’t come back as some rarified spirit. He comes back as himself, still bearing the wounds of crucifixion, sending the disciples back out into the world even though they’re afraid. .
This is good news for us in so many ways, but especially because of how it affirms our own bodies. We don’t need to see them as anything less than the created, affirmed, blessed gift of God that it truly is. We don’t need to think of our bodies as somehow separate from or opposed to our spiritual life. Jesus came in a human body, defeated death in a human body, and ascended into heaven in a human body. If it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for you, too.
Pray.
God, thank you for the gift of this body you have given me. Help me to care for it, love it, value it, and use it well as you would have me do. Grant me any healing you see I need so that I can continue to serve you and my neighbor with my whole self. Amen.
Carry On.
How can you take care of your body today? Can you take 15 minutes to rest, go for a walk, or even just drink a glass of water as a way to celebrate the good body God has given you?