Untouched by Human Hands

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing”, he said. “Be Clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

Mark 1:41-42

Jesus, willing to touch a man whom society had abandoned, so much so that if any man would even lay a hand on this man with leprosy then he would be considered defiled himself. You see, back in these days, leprosy was considered an unclean disease and if you were unlucky enough to be inflicted with it then you were basically an outcast to society. You could no longer worship in the Temple where the Israelites would go to meet God and you were not even allowed in the temple courts as the presence of God was there in some small way as well. So, not only were you a outcast from society but you were totally separated from any worship or interaction with God as a result of your disease. Totally alone, no hope for the future, no communion with God – left to live out the rest of your days as the lowest of the low with no companionship or dignity. I love the words of Jesus here as He is “filled with compassion” while He reaches out and touches this man who had not felt the touch of a human hand and had not had any communion with God for a very long time. There is a lesson to be learned here for all of us who call ourselves Christians and journey to live our lives representing this same Jesus to the broken and lonely world around us. In order to heal this man, Jesus had to reach out and touch Him. He had to touch what the rest of the world considered unclean and even dangerous and self defiling. When God looks down at our world today and sees prostitutes and drug addicts and homosexuals and the homeless and disease ridden hurting people that are all around us His heart breaks and He is filled with compassion and you are His hands and you are His feet that He would want to use you to reach out and touch these broken people with His healing touch of love. Are you willing to share the love of Christ which He has given to you so unconditionally and so undeservedly to the lost and hurting world that is all around you, many of whom are despised and left alone by others. I, for one, am willing – I pray that your response would be the same.

****To post a comment - please click on the "comments" word below - cookies must be enabled on your computer****