Easter Hands

A long time ago, on a Mississippi Delta cotton plantation, an old black man told a wonderful story to a group of small children that not one of them has ever forgotten. The old storyteller's name was Jaybird.

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As he slipped into the hypnosis of his bullfrog bass voice, the little ones clustered at his feet, leaning toward him like eager flowers toward the rising sun. He told them the story of Jesus. The children had heard the Man from Galilee called different names — Savior, Messiah, Son of Man — and their young minds could not comprehend. Understanding their confusion, Jaybird told the story of Jesus in a way they could understand. He put his hands together, palm-to-palm. Though gnarled by years of toil, they were beautiful hands, monuments to a lifetime of tending crops and caring for his wife and many children. Twice daily, he clasped those hands together — once in the morning, and once at night. Jaybird’s relationship with the One Whose hands created everything and everyone was simple and sure. At sunrise, he knelt before the Lord and asked for what he wanted that day; at sunset, he knelt before Him in thanks for what he got that day. More than eight decades later, these morning and night rituals of faith still sustained the old farmer.

“This is what Jesus does for you … every day. He holds you up.”

“Notice how each hand holds up the other,” Jaybird said. Then, dropping one hand, he continued. “Without the support of the other, this hand soon tires and falls.” He let the remaining hand go limp. “Now the hands are apart, unable to depend upon each other for support.” He brought his hands together once again. “This is what Jesus does for you … every day. He holds you up.” Jaybird explained that Jesus left His Father's side in Heaven and came down to this world and walked among plain, ordinary people. Each day He used His hands to embrace, to feed, to heal, even to raise the dead, but most of all, He placed His hands together to pray for the people of the earth. With his hands still clasped together, Jaybird spoke again. “One evening, as Jesus knelt alone with His hands together in prayer, talking to His Father, evil men came and took Him away. They beat Him, cursed Him, spit on Him, and condemned Him to die. They placed a crown of thorns on His head … they taunted Him, they plunged a sword in His side … they pulled the praying hands apart and nailed them to the cross.” Here the old man held his arms wide.

‘Come to Me, come to the eternal embrace of God.’”

“But the evil men did not know. Jesus no longer needed to put His hands together in prayer. He was now where He had so often prayed all God's children would someday be: Heaven. His hands are now wide apart, beckoning to all: ‘Come to Me, come to the eternal embrace of God.’” I was at Jaybird's feet that glorious day. Every day, I am held by those Easter hands.