Connecting Point: Wounded & Weary

Some subjects are easy to address while others are very

difficult. This is today’s case. Abuse of any nature whether physical, emotional or sexual is extremely traumatic and sinful.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience physical or sexual assault, and in the United States 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men are raped in their lifetime. Almost half of victims of rape in the United States were raped by an acquaintance. These statistics are alarming; behind every number is a person with a story filled with heartache and pain. We cannot turn a blind eye to this issue.

There are two realities in regards to wounds:

One, we all inflect wounds in some manner. Even uncaring words or insensitivity towards another in some circumstances might cause terrible damage. On the other hand, any

emotional, physical or sexual abuse is severe and should never be justified.

Two, who is beyond being hurt? The harsh reality demonstrates that the sinful actions of another person can be detrimental. Again, this can occur in lesser and greater degrees.

King David, prominent in the Bible, experienced some of the greatest joys of life as well as some of the extreme sorrows. In 2 Samuel chapter 11 we discover his poor lapse in character when he sexually took advantage of Bathsheba, a sinful action on his part. To make matters worse, David covered his sin by manipulating her husband Uriah through a deceitful plot in war strategy that took Uriah’s life.

Another tragic situation includes David’s daughter, Tamar, found in 2 Samuel chapter 13. Absalom and Amnon were half-brothers. Amnon had an obsession for Tamar, David’s daughter with Maacah. At one dark point Amnon, along with his friend Jonadab, schemed and sexually assaulted Tamar. This action by these young men wounded numerous members of the family.

Wounds. Sin is ugly; gone unchecked it ravages lives. Is there hope? Indeed, hope is found in Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed,” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Jesus understands wounds--he took the combination of every sin throughout history on his back. At the cross we find the power of forgiveness of sin. If you’re wrestling with wounds of any nature, won’t you take them to Jesus?