touch

Touching the Untouchable

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When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.” And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying,
“I will; be thou clean.”
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him,
“See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”           Matthew 8:1-4

The leper was one of the most untouchable people in the Jewish culture, and according to law. The leper was without family touch, and would have been such a lonely, painful, and debilitating existence.

The leper who came to Jesus had simple asked Jesus to make him clean. Jesus did something much more than cleanse him; Jesus touched him. Note the words in the text, “…Jesus put forth His hand and touched him…”  That touch, was a personal touch, a touch of caring, a touch of loving, and Jesus healed the man too.

That is just like Jesus, and like those who love Him and follow Him. Touching the untouchables is from God. Touching without fear. Touching without judgment or judging them knowing that they need that special care.

Jesus later went to the cross bearing our afflictions, our sins, and infirmities; becoming sin for us; and receiving the judgment, the wrath of Holy God, that should have been ours to bear. He carried our sins away in His burial. He rose again from the grave proving that all He had said was true. Proving that He died to put away sin, fulfilling all the law and prophets.

He wants to touch you today. Call on His name, and He will hear, He will heal you with His touch.

He Touches the Unclean

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And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying,
“I will: be thou clean.”
And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And He charged him to,
“Tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”
But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. Luke 5:12-15

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee. Psalm 84:11-12

When people of His day ran from the “unclean” leper Jesus reached out and touched him or her.

By our sins, we are all unclean in the sight of holy God, yet He loves us so much that He gave His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins; our uncleanness; and whosoever believes in Him, calling on His name, shall have eternal life.

Jesus will touch your life, confess your sins to Him, repent and believe.

Words of Jesus; Son of God, God the Son – 082720

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“And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, ‘Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.’ And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying,
‘I will: be thou clean.’
And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And He charged him to
‘Tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.’
But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”  Luke 5:12-16  (KJB)

Why Are You Troubled?

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“And He said unto them, ‘Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.’ ” Luke 24:38-39 (KJB)

Here we are on the Eve of Christmas and there are many of us who are troubled. Most of our trouble is dealing with material things; such as financial debt, did I get the right gift for some loved one; or could be even troubled because of inability financially to buy gifts for loved ones.

The trouble of which Jesus addresses above is concerning His appearance to His followers whom He has just appeared to in this room. The door was locked, and He came in. Keep in mind all of the life of Jesus was about fulfilling the word and will of His Father, purchase our salvation, our redemption by His death on the cross, be buried – not just to prove His death, but to fulfill the type of the scapegoat of Leviticus 16:20-28. When that portion of the Law was fulfilled He rose from the grave alive with “flesh and bone”.

The disciples, followers were troubled because they thought they were seeing a ghost, a spirit, but Jesus quells that by telling them to look at His hands and His feet. His hands still had the scars from the nails of the crucifixion; His feet as well. Then He confirmed His body by speaking of being flesh and bone. He even invites them to touch Him… “Handle Me”

Why are we troubled? We are not mindful enough of the presence of the Lord Jesus, the bodily resurrected Lord Jesus alive, and seated at the right hand of the Father; and that He has given us the earnest of His Holy Spirit abiding in all those who are His (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5); awaiting that day when we shall be glorified with Him.

The One was born of a virgin, lay in the manger in Bethlehem, grew to be the Man that would give His life as the sacrifice for all our sin. He was buried, and He rose from the dead. He died for you and me. Why? Because He loves us so much He gave.

Child of God; if you are troubled about things in this world, your family situation, your finances, your health, or your eternal condition, then look to the One who has showed Himself alive forevermore.

He Touched Me

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“And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, ‘I will: be thou clean.’ And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Luke 5:13 (KJB)

When I was a much younger man there was a song by that title; “He Touched Me”.  It is still sung in some churches  and musical circles. I wonder if we give much thought to what Jesus actually did though, in touching, yes touching those whom the law, and society of the time called “Unclean”.

Speaking of Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son; Matthew’s gospel tells us this,

“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ‘Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.’ ” Matthew 8:17

And that is a quote from the prophet Isaiah,

 “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5

Now I hope you can see a little clearer what Jesus did for all of us who will repent of our sins, and call out to Him in faith believing Him.

Paul the apostle said in 2 Corinthians,

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

He touched me; the unclean; and made me wholly clean. Has He touched you?

Our Infirmities

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He Took Our Infirmities

Matthew 8:1-17

JESUS TOUCHED THE UNCLEAN LEPER (vv. 1-4).

* Leprosy is a picture of sin

+ “ It is deeper than the skin (Lev. 13:3), it spreads (Lev. 13:8), it defiles and isolates (Lev. 13:45-46), it is worthy only of fire (Lev. 13:52, 57)”. FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITION COMMENTARY by Warren W. Wiersbe.

+ None are left untouched by sin.

* This man has been greatly humbled, and is submissive to the sovereignty and power of Jesus, as he says, “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean”.
* Jesus touched the unclean, took his uncleanness, and gave to him health.

A ROMAN SOLDIER PRAYS IN BEHALF OF A SERVANT OF HIS HOUSEHOLD (vv. 5-13)

* This was a gentile Roman soldier who was hated among the people of Jesus’s birth.

+ The very hour Jesus spoke healing the slave/servant was healed.
+ In this instance it was according to this man’s faith.

* We do know that due to this man’s faith his servant/slave was healed that same hour.
* Just like the Roman soldier we can call on Jesus to come and heal despite our racial, or gender status.

JESUS TOUCHED THE HAND OF PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND RAISED HER TO HEALTH (vv. 14-15).

* Women held no honored position in Jewish society.
* For this woman to be in bed meant that she had more than just a stomach ache which so easily puts some people in bed today.

+ A belly ache was nothing, she would have kept on working, unless it was practically deadly.

* Jesus’s touch was a very special touch.

+ It was as if He were saying, “My people have been sick but I have come to take away their sicknesses, and diseases – particularly their ailment to sin.

COULD JESUS BE MAKING THE STATEMENT IN THESE TOUCHES, “I AM YOUR KING AND GREAT PHYSICIAN; I HAVE COME TO PAY THE PRICE FOR YOUR SINS.”? (vv. 16-17).

* “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted”. Isaiah 53:4.

* Jesus delivers people from their sicknesses and demon possession.

+ People are oppressed by sickness due to the original sin in the garden.
+ People are possessed by demons due to their personal actions and invitation to evil in their lives.

* The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the way to victory over sin, its sicknesses, and its evil in our lives.

-Tim A. Blankenship