Resurrection Body Scars?

The question in the title is one that I had never thought of before. It came to my attention because of a book that a brother in Christ gave my wife and me a while back called Being God’s Image by Carmen Joy Imes. Her thesis is not simply that we are made in God’s image, but that we are God’s image. When I began reading the book, I didn’t know if that distinction would make much of a difference in the inferences and conclusions she would make; however, it didn’t take long to discover that it did.

One inference she makes–although she refers to it as a speculation–is that in heaven, our resurrection bodies will retain the scars that our earthly bodies had because Jesus’ resurrection body retains scars from His crucifixion. They (her scars) “are, after all, part of my humanity.” As I continued to read, however, she didn’t do much to nuance her speculation with examples, except for scars from her own C-section, a birthmark removal, and a slash on her toe. I agree with others who have said that some scars can be beautiful because they are a kind of victory of health over injury. I was wondering, however, about those who have deformities: skin damage caused by severe burns, for example. I wondered about those physical scars which may be less immediately obvious, such as blindness and deafness. I thought about paraplegics, like Joni Eareckson Tada. I thought about former drug addicts who still bear the evidence of that former addiction on their arms. And what about the scars of those who have suffered severe physical abuse?

I thought about the fact that I have been blind from birth in one eye; when I was a child, it bothered me somewhat because it marked me as “different” even though no one ever made fun of me for it. In fact, over the years, my current ocularist has done such an incredible job of carefully fashioning my prosthesis and keeping it polished that people have expressed surprise when I have mentioned that I have one; they can’t tell the difference between my two eyes. And I have been joking with my wife and kids about it for years! (Phrases like “keep an eye on it.”) However, regarding my resurrection body, I have always assumed that I will have binocular vision.

When I think about resurrection bodies, I have also pondered mental disabilities. When I think about my sister who was mentally handicapped in this life, I enjoy imagining her in heaven, probably singing and dancing as she liked to do here! However, I do not believe that she has her limiting mental handicap anymore. My daughter, who’s a believer, has autism; although she’s rather high-functioning, will she still be autistic in heaven? I don’t believe so. I believe my sister and daughter will retain their unique personalities, but not their mental disabilities.

Earlier, I mentioned physical abuse; would Imes say that believers will retain the emotional scars from that abuse in heaven? Probably not, but why then would the Lord give them resurrection bodies retaining any physical scars resulting from that abuse?

What does the Bible say regarding this matter of resurrection body scars? Ephesians 5:27 tells us, “and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” While this verse clearly, and primarily, refers to the fact that we will be sinless in heaven, “without blemish” is also a reference to the Old Testament animal sacrifices that the Israelites were required to make. This is an indication that our resurrection bodies will also be without blemish.

Imes makes the assumption that because of the scars on Jesus’ resurrection body, we will also retain our scars on our resurrection bodies. However, let’s look at a couple differences between Jesus and us. First of all, Jesus was both fully human and fully God, except that He never sinned. He bore our sin to save us, and His scars are both a proof and a reminder of what He did for us. In John 20:27, we read, “Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'” The next verse: “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” Jesus’ scars were proof that He was the same man Who had been crucified more than a week before. As others have written, they will be a reminder to all believers for eternity of His sacrifice, which is our salvation.

Another difference between Jesus and us in relation to our scars becomes clear when you think about it: His body was in the grave for a mere three days; our current bodies, in contrast, will have been in the grave for a lot longer than that! (Except for those who die shortly before His return.) Think about Adam, for example, the first man; his body has been in the earth for thousands of years. In Genesis 3:19, the Lord tells Adam, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Ecclesiastes 3:20 reminds us of the same thing: “All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” Does it make sense for the Lord to recreate our resurrection bodies with the scars that our original earthly bodies (which will be dust by then) had? I think not.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 gives us a glorious picture: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.'” Our resurrection bodies will be immortal; those of us who know the Lord will live forever–without scars!–with Him! If you don’t know and love Him yet, I invite you to accept Jesus as your Savior; you will discover the kind of peace and joy that only He can give.