Touch

by Joey Davis

A crowd of thousands was shuffling along The Judean hillside. Elbow to elbow, the people trudged along with only one desire in their hearts. . . to be with Jesus. Unknown to most of the crowd, a woman stood in their midst who had a desire stronger than just being with Jesus. . . she wanted to touch Him.

She had been slowly bleeding to death for years and after spending all that she had on doctors who knew nothing of her suffering, she saw this traveling preacher as her only hope. She had heard that He had touched lepers and made them whole, touched lame men and made ,them walk, and touched the blind and gave them sight. Now His touch would heal her.

As the crowd ambled across the hillside, she rushed in and touched the clothing of God in the flesh. And He felt her touch. Out of all the elbows and shoulders pressing against His own, He felt the touch of an ailing soul. "He felt the power leave Him" is the explanation the Bible gives us for the alertness of Jesus. No matter the explanation, the lesson is clear. Intimate contact with Jesus is life changing.

Her faith, and His touch, made her whole. Psychologists have attested to the fact that touch is necessary for life. It has even been stated that a person who receives six genuine hugs a day will be more emotionally healthy.

Jesus continues to touch HIS children today. However, He uses His body, the church, to perform this important function.

There are times when I'm surrounded by, dozens of people after church and someone will walk by and put a hand on my shoulder or pat me on the back. Even tough I'm not sure who did it, it is always appreciated. Some, like me, are huggers who enjoy the embrace 9 brothers and sisters in Him. We even touch people in other ways like sharing warm smiles, sending kind cards, and writing notes of encouragement 1 even saw a wife so determined to touch her husband every day he was away on a mission trip, that she left notes in all of his clothing. When he changed, he thought of her.

Once a blind veteran was trying to find his bus home in a busy terminal. A well-meaning person grabbed his arm and said, "I'll get you to your bus." The veteran simply said, "Don't push me or pull me. I just need to touch your shoulder and I'll find my way. Today, we need the "touch of the Master's hand" more than ever. We don't need to be pulled, pushed, or dragged. We need to be touched. After all, aren't we all like the blind veteran, strangers in a crowd just trying to get home?