Scars

"Brilliant things have their scars." The Toilers of the Sea, Victor Hugo

  In this world of imperfection, even the most beautiful of things bear some mark of the fall. The tearing and clawing violence of living effects everyone and everything. It even effected Christ. He was scarred by the doings of His creation, but at the same time He chose the scars He bears. The wages of sin, the curse of death, they were brought about by the rebellion of mankind. The scars on mankind, on nature, they are there because man has refused to obey God.
  Christ loves His creation. He loves humanity. Even in the shame of our rebellion, He came down from His throne to take on the punishment we deserve. He hung on a cross, His back riven by the marks of scourge, spikes driven through His wrists and His ankles to hold Him to the rugged wood. Christ's body was torn as He received the punishment mankind deserves. But it was more than a physical punishment. Christ, the perfect Son of God, bore on His soul the weight of the world's sin. He died in the place of those whom the Father had given Him.
  It is by Christ's wounds we are healed. For those of us who are believers, our debt has been paid, our punishment is gone. We will never forget the love of our Savior. And we will spend eternity with Him whose hands and feet are scarred with the marks of bearing our sin.