A Touch Makes All The Difference

W

hen you’re sick, nothing makes you feel better than a touch from mama’s hand!  I remember so many times when I missed school due to an upset stomach, the flu, chickenpox, or whatever else was being shared at elementary school.  No matter the illness, if I didn’t fell well, mom always did the same thing; she felt my forehead and my cheeks to see if I had a fever.

On other occasions, from many a hospital bed, the touch of her hand has worked far better than any medication prescribed by my doctors.  I distinctly remember coming out of the dense fog provided by my anesthesiologist on several occasions.  Each time, mom’s hand on my forehead and on my cheeks let me know everything was all right.  The worst was over, the surgery was in the past and the healing had begun.  I am indebted to many physicians over the years and thankful for their medical expertise but none of them hold a candle to the curative power of mama’s hand.

The New Testament places great weight on the power of touch.  Who can forget the story of the woman with an issue of blood who had been sick for 12 years?  She simply told herself that the slightest touch of Jesus’ garment would make her whole, complete, and healed.   The Lord’s touch makes everything right. It tells us the worst is over It assures us in our hour of need and uncertainty, and his touch means that healing has begun.

This is nowhere more evident than in Matthew’s gospel.  In Matthew 14:35-36 we find this passage, “And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.”

This passage finds Jesus after his feeding of the five thousand.  He has walked on the water and crossed the Sea of Galilee.  As he comes down out of the boat, the people of the region recognize him and at once begin to spread the word of his arrival.  Yes, there was something about Jesus that caused people to come from near and far to see him and to listen to his words.  But on this particular day, the scripture tells us the people came for another reason—to be healed!

Notice the last seven words of this verse,” and all who touched him were healed.”  They came from near and far just to touch Jesus.  No doubt, these people had tried all types of cures, they had seen numerous physicians, and they had spent who knows how much money on all types of fad cures, systems, potions, ointments, you name it.  Yet, all they really needed was to touch Christ; to reach out their hands and touch the only one who could heal their disease, cleanse them, and make them whole.

With all the people crowding around him that day, it would have been impossible to get next to him for more than a few seconds.  People had to jockey for position and force their way through to him, yet when they did, when they touched him, when they reached their goal, they were healed.

It is my prayer for all of us that we would do as these people did.  When we make Jesus our goal, when we will not be denied or deterred from getting close to him, when we refuse to let our circumstances get in the way of our touching him, and when we make touching him our only aim, then we will receive God’s best.

No matter what our circumstances in life, what we need is a touch from the Master’s hand.  His touch brings strength, his touch brings peace, his touch brings assurance, and his touch brings hope to life.  Have you touched him today?  Remember, a touch makes all the difference!