Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
This passage of scripture recounts for us the healing of the woman who had an issue of blood, a condition that had drained her life savings, with no positive results from the physicians she had been visiting. In her desperation, she decided to reach out and touch the hem of Christ's garments, and as the passage states, she was immediately healed. What is worthy of note is that very many people were then rubbing shoulders with Jesus, thronging Him as he went, yet many of them who were themselves in need of healing, received no positive results.
This experience of the personal touch between the woman and Christ, has important lessons for us today, for it seems as if the physical interaction between human beings is becoming more and more distant in nature. As it stands today in America and across the globe, our communication with each other is largely electronic, with the physical touch being replaced by Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and the various electronic media outlets. The handshake, the warm hugs, the smiles, the personal greetings between neighbors and friends, are quickly becoming experiences of the past, and we wonder where we would be as a society in the next ten to twenty years as this trend continues.
The Bible teaches us however, to value and implement the personal touch as we take the good news of salvation to a world in need, and while we are to utilize modern technology to the maximum, yet we are never to become impersonal in our relationships and interactions with each other. In the great commission given to us by Christ, we see that one on one form of ministry being highlighted, and we should do our best to follow in the footsteps of the Master. In many cases when healing was requested by someone, Jesus could have just spoken the word and those who were afflicted would have been healed. But Christ often chose not to use this method, preferring to go in person to meet with the afflicted ones. Let's read:
Matthew 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
In this instance the centurion manifested a rare faith in Christ by acknowledging His power to heal from a distance, but Jesus' preferred method, as stated in the passage, was to go visit the centurion's servant in person. Again we read of that personal touch being implemented by Christ, an example he has set for all of His followers. Let's read:
Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
As we go about our daily round of duties, it is the will of God that the interaction with our coworkers, fellow students, neighbors, friends, and those who are in need, should be characterized by the same personal touch that was so often used by Christ. Let us not become so electronically minded that our personal relationships with each other becomes distant in nature, but let us rather incorporate the methods of Jesus who once said, "Follow me". "Good night"and God bless!