Some “through the bible” thoughts from Matthew 8.
A leper came to [Jesus] and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:2-3)
Jesus didn’t have to touch this man to heal him. He can heal just by speaking. He can heal at a distance, too. He heals a centurion’s servant without going to his house. Jesus heals other lepers while they are on their way to be pronounced clean by a priest.
But sometimes Jesus touches a person to heal them. He touches the blind and the deaf to restore their lost senses. I’m not sure why he does or doesn’t.
I just remember that no one could come near or touch God in the Old Testament. When God was in the cloud on top of Mount Sinai, no one could get near the mountain except for Moses. If you touched it, you died. That same God, in the flesh, now touches people and gives them life.
How do you think that felt? What would it be like to shake Jesus’s hand? What about a hug? Would that be a powerful moment? Do you imagine Jesus’s hands to be rough and calloused? Was his healing touch gentle or firm?
Some people are very touchy when they talk. They reach out and touch your arm or hand as a natural extension of their words. That doesn’t bother me, but I notice it when someone converses with frequent touch. Maybe it’s their way of connecting, of making sure you’re paying attention.
A touch to my ribs makes me jump. The grasp of a little hand reassures me that a grandchild is safe with me. I’m glad when someone grabs my arm so I don’t bump into someone. I’m annoyed when someone bumps into me.
Touch can mean a lot of different things. I imagine Jesus’s touch to communicate love, life, and security.
Waite for it... 