reach out and touch someone

The Five Love Languages is a favorite book of mine; I read it years ago, and it changed the way I see people, and the way I relate to them. 

For the record, my love language is not physical touch.  It's not that I don't love a good bear hug, or a reassuring pat, but generally speaking, my primary language isn't that.

The Bible has interesting things to say about touch, though.  Twice today, I was given a story from the gospel of Mark -- two different ones -- that spoke to me deeply about the power of touch.

In Mark 5, we learn about a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  She'd spent everything she had in her pursuit of healing, but instead, she'd only grown worse.  Can you imagine her despair?

As Jesus is en route to perform an unrelated healing, this woman watches him walking by and thinks to herself, "If I can just touch his garments, I will be made well" (v. 28).  So she does.  And immediately, she is "freed from her suffering" (v. 29).  Not only is she healed, but Jesus feels power unleashed from him upon her touch (v. 30)! 

Back in the first chapter of Mark is the beautiful story about a leper -- a social outcast, for all intents and purposes -- begging Jesus to make him clean.  The Bible says that Jesus was filled with compassion, touched the man, and immediately the man was cured (v. 40-42).

Following this particular miracle, despite Jesus's instructions to not tell anyone, this man could not contain himself!  Instead, he talked openly, freely, "spreading the news" (v. 45).  In fact, so many people were tipped off about the great news of Jesus, He couldn't even enter a town openly!

Obviously both of these stories speak to the healing power of Jesus' touch.  Nothing not to like about that!

But let this be a lesson for us!  When we are touched by Christ, we want to share it.  And when we touch people in the name of Christ -- when we serve them -- barriers are broken, and the world takes notice.

Bottom line?

Reach out and touch someone.  If we don't, His fame might be at stake!