The Power of Touch

I like to think I can repurpose or restore things, but I have a friend who puts me to shame. She can take anything with rust on it and turn it into something I want to display in my home.  

Her remade things always remind me that newness is possible. Her remade treasures remind me of all God does in making things new. 

The time of Jesus’ ministry on earth was not long - 3 short years. He came for salvation. He completed the work of restoring our relationship with Him. But while He was here, He also walked along roads and restored health, spiritual wellbeing, and life to people He met. 

In Luke 8, Jesus heals a man from demon possession and raises a young girl back to life. Jesus restores and makes new then. Jesus is restoring and making new today. Along the road between healing the man and the young girl, Jesus meets a woman. This woman did not have a simple or short-lived illness. Her bleeding had lasted 12 years. She had spent all her money on physicians and she lived in isolation. People would have even taken extra care to avoid touching her.

How many people in this world feel like they’ve fought the same battle for years?

How many people in this world feel like their bank account has been drained?

How many people in this world live isolated and alone?

How many people just want someone to touch them?

Read the bleeding woman’s full story in any of these Gospel accounts:

The woman was lost in the sea of people when she touched the garment of Jesus and was healed instantly. 

Jesus knew. He knew someone had touched Him in the crowd. And so He reaches out so that she can be further known.

This woman was considered unclean, yet Jesus calls out to the woman. Apprehensively the woman comes forward. She confesses to touching Him, to reaching out, to being in need. But even before she confesses before Jesus - after 12 years of bleeding, isolation, and being unclean - her health was restored.

Jesus declared to the bleeding woman, and He declares to each of us, “Your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

We, too, have times we spend in isolation. It may not be our whole lives, but bits and pieces are kept from those around us. It may not be as ‘extreme’ as this woman yet how often do we hide a part of our lives because it would be considered unclean? It may be something on a road in your past or a mountain path you are climbing right now.

The faith she received from Him was the thing that made her well, and the faith we receive from Jesus also makes us well.

We are well because we are known.

We do not need to live in isolation for fear of being considered unclean. We are restored. For the woman, had Jesus only created a relationship with her, without healing her, her road would still have been one of restoration. Likewise, until Jesus returns and restores this earth fully, we will still walk difficult roads and the sinful condition will still exist. As she would still have been clean and known, we are still clean and known.

My friend creates something different out of the old and damaged. Beauty is seen in taking the damaged and using it. Because we are known, Jesus uses us as we are, damaged and worn from the roads we have walked. One day He’ll return, and we will know restoration to the fullest.

In the meantime, we can proclaim His goodness on our past, present, and future roads: 

“Your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

You have been touched by Jesus.