Think about TOUCH! What does it mean to you? What is it like to be without TOUCH from others? Have you ever been in a situation where you were without human TOUCH for an extended period of time? What was that like?

The passage upon which we will focus in this blog post is about TOUCH. I want us to focus on a situation where Jesus TOUCHED a social outcast. This story is recorded in three different  places - Matthew 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-44 and Luke 5:12-16. It will help if you read all three accounts.

Some background thoughts ....
The man in this story is described as a "leper." In fact, we do not even know his name. He is defined only as "leper." Leprosy was an affliction that had many consequences - loss of human contact, loss of religious contact, loss of dignity, loss of social status, loss of family connection ... and the list goes on. Truly this was an isolating affliction. All TOUCH was lost by those who were afflicted with this medical, social and religious disease. For many reasons, leprosy was nothing short of a "living death." The Jews, and especially the Jewish leaders, called leprosy "The Finger of God," implying that God was the cause of the affliction, and its attendant side effects, because of something the person had done to violate God's Laws. Nothing could have been further from the truth!

When Jesus met "the leper" in this story, He had just finished His Sermon on The Mount. He had just set a new standard for Kingdom living. He had just delivered His new value system. He had just talked about The Beatitudes, being Salt and Light in the world, treatment of others, the relationship between worship to God and treatment of others, helping those in need, forgiveness, judging, life-priorities, labeling others, etc. This seems to have been the first occasion for Jesus to match His actions to His words. And He met a "social outcast." Someone who has been living for decades as a non-person, someone without identity, someone marginalized by society and the religious structure of his world. What would Jesus do? How would He act? What will others think?

The man's request: "If you are willing, make me clean!" Why not just ask Jesus to heal him? The leper wanted to be rid of the problem all together, and he wanted to be made completely whole again - to be restored physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. He did not want the leprosy put into remission, as great as that might be. He wanted to be both healed and cleansed, so that he could truly return to the human race and his family. So Jesus TOUCHED him! And that TOUCH was physical, emotional, relational and spiritual. It was an holistic TOUCH! Jesus risked all to validate His ethic, His value system, His Kingdom principles. He went beyond the call of merely miraculously healing this man. He TOUCHED him! A man who had known no touch for longer than he could remember. He authenticated this man. He welcomed him back into humanity. He showed him what it means to be truly loving, forgiving, accepting, and caring. Jesus TOUCHED this man when no one else would even acknowledge his existence.

ENCOUNTER THE WORD

Examine the passages listed above and meditate on their meaning and implications for your own life.

SOME ENCOUNTER QUESTIONS

• Who are the "social outcasts" in your world? Who are the "untouchables" who live around you all the time? Who are the "invisible people" in your world, who get ignored and marginalized by you and others?
• How can we give them TOUCHES for Jesus?
• Like the leper, what TOUCHES do you need this week? Who will you seek out to give you that Jesus TOUCH?
• Where do you need healing? What cleansing do you need?
• If you had been there with Jesus that day, would you have encouraged Him to TOUCH the leper, or would you have challenged His behavior, as did His disciples - quoting book, chapter and verse?