Touch Me and See

Detail from a stained glass window
in St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after being resurrected, he showed them the wounds in his hands, feet, and side. Why weren’t these wounds wiped away when he was resurrected? Isn’t to be resurrected to be made new?

Jesus’ wounds remained part of him, even after he rose from the dead, because a resurrected Jesus with wounds is different from a resurrected Jesus without wounds. Jesus’ wounds are a wellspring of compassion and solace for other people who are suffering. In addition, Jesus would not be who he is, even after resurrection, without the visible signs of the sacrifice he made and the pain he suffered.

The fact that Jesus still had signs of his wounds after being resurrected shows us that attaining fullness of life does not mean our previous experiences have been wiped away; that would mean any wisdom we have attained through our suffering would be wiped away as well. Rather, our wounds are transformed into signs of solidarity with other suffering people, and they serve as a reminder that we are more than what has hurt us. Like Jesus, we will experience death; like him, despite our wounds, we will experience new life in communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit.