The Story Behind the Marks

Two black lines of rubber residue led from the highway to the shoulder, outlining a vehicle’s abnormal path. This physical evidence only showed that someone decided to stop in a hurry. There were no clues to the story behind the marks.

Did a child need to throw up from car sickness? Did the driver see a fork in the road and wonder which route to take? Did the car’s dash light up with warnings of engine trouble? Did someone panic when they saw the flashers of an emergency vehicle coming behind them? Did the driver’s soft serve ice cream fall off the cone and into his lap?

We had no idea. As travelers on the same road but not at the same moment, we had nothing to explain the dark streaks leading to the highway’s edge.

Less than a kilometer away, my husband commented on another similar set of tire tracks: these ones leading to a highway exit ramp.

Again, we could only imagine what circumstances led to the last-minute decision to turn off. Had the driver been distracted and almost missed the exit? Did a navigating passenger fail to clearly communicate the directions? Did the riders decide to make a pit stop before their final destination? Maybe a stomach growled, and hunger drove them toward food? Maybe they wanted to elude an aggressive alien spaceship or a flock of angry birds stalking them.

Behind both sets of marks left on the road, there was a story: an explanation for a vehicle’s swift, erratic movement. Unless we read or hear about recent incidents that occurred in those spots on the news or social media, we will never know what happened. We can only speculate. And in the case of the alien spaceship theory, we might have a few misled conjectures.

“I think those tire marks represent a lot of stress,” I said to my husband as we drove by. I imagined a wildly pounding heart and sweaty palms as the driver made the sudden change of direction in both instances.

Many of the cars, themselves, speeding along beside us had dents and dings on their surfaces. In guessing what might have happened to cause these damaged areas, we could easily begin to judge their driving skills. We might be correct in thinking that the imperfections were the results of poor driving. But those dents might represent someone else’s poor driving. The vehicle might have been hit from behind on the highway or at a traffic light. Someone might have struck their car in a parking lot while they were searching for an interesting book in the library. A meteor might have dropped from the sky onto their hood. We don’t know.

We see scars on people, too. Those scars might show up as physical marks on someone’s skin, in a negative attitude, or in a perpetually angry demeanor. Unless they tell us their stories, we are ignorant of the circumstances that left those marks. We can jump to conclusions based on guesses or assumptions, but why would we do that? Our imaginations can conjure up stories, and we can treat people differently based on fiction.

It isn’t our business to know why people are scarred unless they make it so. Our mission as God’s children is to love others. We don’t need to know the personal details of their lives to pray for our neighbors or to treat them with kindness.

The good Samaritan in the parable of Jesus (Luke 10:25-37) did not witness the injured man’s robbery or beating. He did not know the cause of his state. But he stopped to help the man who had been left half dead and naked on the side of the road. He showed God’s love without knowing the whole story, without knowing what made the marks. Jesus told this parable so that we would understand that God would like us to treat people this way as well. When we help somebody who is in need, we show them God’s love.

Most of us know the story of one Man’s set of scars. Nearly all images of Him feature those marks on His hands and feet. The story behind Jesus’ marks is one of violence and undeserved cruelty. But it is also a story of love and salvation. When we see Jesus’ scars or read about them, they remind us that God loved us enough to sacrifice His Son to pay the penalty for our sins.

No guesswork or assumptions are necessary to explain the marks Jesus bears on His body. The story is well documented in The Bible, and unlike the scars of our earthly neighbors, these ones are our business. They bear an invitation to learn more about His story and to get to know Him better.

After we accept His offer of salvation, there are some steps we can take to change our behavior to mirror God’s image. I recorded these while doing the YouVersion app’s Verse of the Day devotional this morning and included my own comments:

1. Give God thanks. Worship and show Him gratitude for all the good things He has done for us.
2. Be still in His presence. Daily, we can take a few minutes to shut off the rest of the noisy world and be silent with God.
3. Remind ourselves Whose we are. God bought us for a hefty price and adopted us into His family (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
4. Meditate on God’s Word. This means reading The Bible (outside of church), taking notes, and learning about His love.
5. Focus on things that are excellent and honor God.

Knowing the story behind His marks should motivate us to live differently—not to earn what has already been given, but to desire to become more like our Savior.

Which of the five suggestions above is an area that you could focus on this week? Ask God to help you in your journey to know Him better.

I encourage you to keep your tires on the highway that leads to eternal life with Him!

Thank You, Father, for all the blessings You have given me. Thank You for saving me from my own selfishness and know-it-all attitude. Thank You, Jesus, for bearing the scars that remind me of what You did for me. Speak to my heart as I sit quietly with You each morning. Thank You for making me Your daughter and showering me with unconditional love. When I study Your Word, help me understand and apply its wisdom to my life. When my thoughts waiver from what is beautiful and pure, fill my mind with Your goodness. May others see the family resemblance on my countenance. Amen.

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