The Handless Christ

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8th August: The Handless Christ

Behold my hands... Luke 24:39 (AV)

The story goes that during World War II a statue of Christ in a European village was knocked over. At the end of the war, when the villagers went to restore the statue, they discovered it fairly well intact, except for the hands. These were missing and could not be found. Rather than manufacture new hands, the people left the statue as it was.

Now a story like that just calls out to be used as a sermon illustration. In fact, that's where I heard it. The speaker said that Christ without hands was exactly as he is today. He went on to say that we are his hands, and that we must be responsible for doing his work in the world. To quote the old poem -

He has no other hands than our hands
He has no other feet than our feet...
Appealing, isn't it? Appealing -- but wrong to the point of blasphemy. It appeals, I guess because it satisfied human pride to have it thought that we are somehow absolutely vital to God's purposes. We like the idea that he needs us. It appeals, too, because it cuts Christ down to size so to speak. It makes him more like us, and gives us a chance to use him. It is little wonder that God forbade the construction of images. They divert our attention from his inspired word and give us false ideas of ourselves.
The truth is, of course, that (to quote the Bible) 'all power on heaven and earth' has been given to Jesus Christ. By his word and by his Spirit he can and does accomplish whatever he pleases, with or without us. We are meant to worship him, not to compete with him. But, when we are perfectly clear about that point, we may also notice this stupendous truth. In his grace and mercy, Christ does use us to do his will. He does employ our puny efforts, in prayer, in service, in speaking, in doing, to accomplish his ends. But we are the servants, he is the Master.

A handless Christ? God forbid!
'Jesus Christ is Lord' -- that is the Christian Gospel.
Grant me, Lord, the grace and the faith never to forget it.