Jesus wasn’t afraid to roll up His sleeves and get into the rubbish of peoples lives. In the account of Lazarus in John 11:39-44, Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, … said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench,” …And he who had died came out bound… Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

There are so many people that are wounded and hurt in our society. They walk throughout their day dealing with the pain and stench of their past. They have learned to push them down and act as if the wounds don’t exist, hiding them in the closet of the ugly past. Unfortunately, that is the worst plan one can do. When we ignore and

Jesus isn’t afraid to deal with our inner wounds even when they stink!     (tweet)

try to hide the pains of our past it only festers and slowly deteriorates deep within us. We become the walking wounded, even though we have been called out of our tomb we still are bound and stink repelling those around us.

David a man that had an incredible relationship with God also had his baggage that most definitely left some wounds deep within him. He went through cruel rejection from a king that sought to kill him, his family was taken by the enemy, some of his children rebelled against him and he experienced the death of several of his own children. Do I need to remind you he fell into adultery and even had a loyal soldier

Wicked Ways will Stand in the Way of your walk of righteousness   (tweet)

murdered? Without question David definitely carried some affects and scars from His journey. In Psalms 139:23-24, David pens these revealing words, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” He invited the “Lover of his Soul” to search him and deal with these wounds. The words “wicked way” here can be defined as a “painful path”. David wanted God to heal him of the hurtful patterns that would possibly sidetrack him from the paths of righteousness.

Jesus has come to set us free from our past hurts of life. He knows that life can be unfair and bring damage to our souls causing us to be wounded and carry a stench. Yet, He comes to the place of our pain and commands the stone to be removed, calling us out of our tomb that is filled with dead and shameful things. He isn’t afraid of the smell of our wounded lives. The truth is He is the “Resurrection and the Life” and has come to give us life and to set us free. We read in 1 Jn 3:8 where it says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”. Jesus has sent His word to heal and to deliver us. (Ps 107:20) Jesus who is the “Balm of Gilead” is present to heal and restore His people from the tragedies of the journey.

I love the fact that in this story, Jesus tells others who were standing around to loose Lazarus from the grave clothes. (vs. 44) You see not only is Jesus the answer and the healer but also has invited you and I to be a part of the healing process in each other. Hurt people, will hurt other people but healed people will heal people. Let’s not shrink back from the stink but allow God to heal us and be apart of helping others.