In Matthew 8 and 9 we are given several examples of "the touch of Jesus". Each example shows us how His touch speaks of sympathy, love and power. And here is the amazing thing: each example we are given is a situation where it would be considered 'unclean' to touch the person. Yet He was willing to touch, just as He is willing to touch our lives which are dirty and filthy with sin, and make us whole and clean.
Matthew 8:2 tells of a leper who came and worshipped Jesus saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Leviticus 13 tells about all types of skin diseases, and calls these diseases leprosy, with the person being pronounced unclean. In II Cor. 6:17 it says "touch not the unclean thing". A leper in the Old Testament was put outside the camp and was to stay away from others. Jesus knew this, yet Matthew 8:3 states "He stretched forth His hand, and touched him." Jesus could have made the leper clean without touching him, but He chose to show His love by the comfort of a touch.
Matthew 9:20 is the story about the woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for 12 years. She came behind him and 'touched' his garment. In Leviticus 15, a woman is considered 'unclean' during her monthly cycle, or a drainage of blood. The woman who came to Jesus had been bleeding from an illness for 12 years, yet Jesus turned and told her to be 'of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee well.' He allowed her to touch Him and He did not rebuke her or draw away from her in disgust, but comforted her and healed her.
In this same chapter of Matthew He went to the home of a certain ruler whose daughter was ill, and in fact she died before they reached the home. According to the Law in Numbers 19:11 it states: "he who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days." Jesus could have healed the little girl before she died, or He even could have given the word and brought her back to life, but instead He went to the girl's room and took the hand of the child who was dead. She arose, well and whole and just as though she had never been ill.
Matthew 8:14,15 gives us a short example of Jesus touch when He went to Peter's house and Peter's mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Instead of leaving her alone lest He catch a disease, He 'touched her hand', and the fever left her. She felt so well afterwords, it says she "arose, and ministered unto them."
Today we find countless hearts and lives soothed by the healing touch of Jesus, as He takes what is 'unclean', our dirty filthy rags of sin, and turns us into something beautiful.
Bill and Gloria Gaither have written this beautiful song of Jesus 'Touch':
Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame--
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me,
O He touched me,
And O the joy that floods my soul;
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
(This article from the heart of CC)
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