JESUS TOUCHED THE UNTOUCHABLES - In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast: infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear… The touch did not heal the disease. It was the pronouncement and not the touch of Christ that cured the condition. The infection was banished by a word from Jesus. The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus. Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his disease. I wonder… about the man who felt Jesus’ compassionate touch. He makes one appearance, has one request, and receives one touch. But that one touch changed his life forever…. In New Testament times leprosy was the most dreaded disease. The condition rendered the body a mass of ulcers and decay. Fingers would curl and gnarl. Blotches of skin would discolor and stink. Leprosy would numb nerve endings, leading to a loss of fingers, toes, even a whole foot or hand. Leprosy was death by inches. Considered contagious, the leper was quarantined, banished to a leper colony.

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Jesus Touched the Untouchables

Jesus touched the untouchables of the world

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In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast: infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear… The touch did not heal the disease. It was the pronouncement and not the touch of Christ that cured the condition. The infection was banished by a word from Jesus. The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus. 

by Max Lucado

UpWords

 

When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him.

Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus.

The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!”

And immediately the man was healed from his disease.  - Matthew 8:1-3

I wonder… about the man who felt Jesus’ compassionate touch. He makes one appearance, has one request, and receives one touch.

But that one touch changed his life forever…. 

I wonder about this man because in New Testament times leprosy was the most dreaded disease.

The condition rendered the body a mass of ulcers and decay.

Fingers would curl and gnarl. Blotches of skin would discolor and stink.

Certain types of leprosy would numb nerve endings, leading to a loss of fingers, toes, even a whole foot or hand.

Leprosy was death by inches.

The social consequences were as severe as the physical. Considered contagious, the leper was quarantined, banished to a leper colony.

In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast: infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear…

The touch did not heal the disease, you know.

Matthew is careful to mention that it was the pronouncement and not the touch of Christ that cured the condition.

“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, ‘I will. Be healed!’ And immediately the man was healed from his disease” (Matthew 8:3).

The infection was banished by a word from Jesus.

The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus.

Jesus touched the untouchables of the world.

Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and best-selling author who, in his own words, “writes books for people who don’t read books.” He serves the people of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, and his message is for the hurting, the guilty, the lonely, and the discouraged: God loves you; let him.

As a writer, Max is known for combining poetic storytelling and homespun humor with the heart of a pastor. All of his trade books began as sermon series at Oak Hills Church, and his sermons all begin with Max asking himself this question: “What can I say on Sunday that will still matter on Monday?” He’s been dubbed “America’s Pastor” by Christianity Today, and “The Best Preacher in America” by Reader’s Digest.

https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/upwords/upwords-week-of-may-8-14-11603320.html

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He Touched Me

Jesus will reach out to you if you call out to him

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Touch

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Fear of Germs Phobia

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HE TOUCHED ME - Jesus has the power to heal instantly or in stages. He heals one with a touch, another with a word, another with a glance, and yet another at a great distance. In this case, he touched a leper. That would have shocked his audience because leprosy was considered incurable. The leper’s faith, though filled with doubt, seems remarkable. Jesus rewards his hesitant faith with something unexpected. He touched the leper. Technically this rendered Jesus unclean - but the holiness of Christ overcame the letter of the law. Jesus will reach out to you if you call out to him - He came for sinners - “Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be made clean.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” - Jesus doesn’t treat us all the same way. He has the power to heal instantly or in stages. He heals one with a touch, another with a word, another with a glance, and yet another at a great distance. He touches one and never sees the other, and yet both are healed. In this case, he touched a leper. That would have shocked his audience because leprosy was considered incurable. No one understood its origin, and no one knew how to treat it. So much did the ancients fear it that anyone suspected of having the disease was banished from society. In the rabbinic writings nothing is listed for leprosy. The rabbis said that curing it was like raising the dead. The leper’s faith, though filled with doubt, seems remarkable.

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He Touched Me

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Jesus has the power to heal instantly or in stages. He heals one with a touch, another with a word, another with a glance, and yet another at a great distance. He touched a leper - that would have shocked his audience because leprosy was considered incurable. The leper’s faith, though filled with doubt, seems remarkable. Jesus rewards his hesitant faith with something unexpected - He touched the leper. Technically this rendered Jesus unclean - but the holiness of Christ overcame the letter of the law. Jesus will reach out to you if you call out to him - He came for sinners

Ray Pritchard

 

“Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be made clean.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” - (Matthew 8:3).

 

Jesus doesn’t treat us all the same way.

This is evident from a study of the miracles of Christ.

He has the power to heal instantly or in stages.

He heals one with a touch, another with a word, another with a glance, and yet another at a great distance.

He touches one and never sees the other, and yet both are healed.

In this case, he touched a leper.

That would have shocked his audience because leprosy was considered incurable.

No one understood its origin, and no one knew how to treat it.

So much did the ancients fear it that anyone suspected of having the disease was banished from society.

In the rabbinic writings we find remedies for various diseases.

But nothing is listed for leprosy. The rabbis said that curing it was like raising the dead.

The leper’s faith, though filled with doubt, seems remarkable.

Somehow this poor outcast, rejected by his neighbors, knows that Christ can do for him what no doctor can do.

No doubt he has heard of other miracles Christ has performed.

He thinks to himself, “If only I can get myself to Christ, he can heal me.”

Jesus rewards his hesitant faith with something unexpected. He touched the leper.

Technically this rendered him unclean in light of Leviticus 5:3.

But in this case the holiness of Christ overcame the letter of the law.

Christ touched him to identify with him and to show the crowd that he was not afraid to touch a leper.

A beloved gospel song reminds us of the powerof our Lord’s 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, Oh He touched me,

And oh the joy that floods my soul!

Something happened and now I know,

He touched me and made me whole”

Let no one say, “Jesus would never have anything to do with someone like me.”

You may be the worst sort of “moral leper,” but Jesus will reach out to you if you call out to him.

He came for sinners.

Are you a sinner?

If so, then he came for you.

Lord, we need to feel your healing touch today.

Come and heal us from the inside out because no one can help us but you.

Amen.

“Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus”

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Dr. Ray Pritchard serves as president of Keep Believing Ministries. He has ministered extensively overseas in China, Bolivia, Columbia, Paraguay, Belize, Haiti, Nigeria, Switzerland, Russia, India, Nepal, and South Korea. He is a frequent conference speaker and guest on Christian radio and television talk shows. He has written 31 books, including Stealth Attack, The ABCs of Christmas, The Healing Power of Forgiveness, An Anchor for the Soul, The Incredible Journey of Faith, The ABCs of Wisdom, Leadership Lessons of Jesus (with Bob Briner), Why Did This Happen to Me?, and Credo: Believing in Something to Die For.

He is a co-host of Today's Issues on American Family Radio.

For 26 years he pastored churches in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Chicago. Most recently he pastored Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL for sixteen years. He is a graduate of Tennessee Temple University (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.) and Talbot School of Theology (D.Min.). He has been married to Marlene for 43 years. They have three sons (Josh, Mark, and Nick). Josh and Leah were married in July 2006 and have two children, Knox and Violet. Mark and Vanessa were married in July 2007 and have three children, Eli, Penny, and Zoe. Nick and Sarah were married in July 2014 and have two children, Hannah and Joshua.

Dr. Pritchard’s hobbies include biking, surfing the Internet, and anything related to the Civil War.

https://www.keepbelieving.com/he-touched-me/

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He Touched 

Me 

William J. Gaither

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https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/05/he-touched-me-william-j-gaither-hackled.html

THE DISEASE - How would you feel if you had The Disease? Jesus reaches out and does more than heal - He touches. He meets the need beyond the need. He reaches out and touches the untouchable. He wipes away not only the guilt of sin, but also removes the isolation and the hurting it causes - He brings us back from a life of separation. It all started with a white spot on the skin. Nothing painful, but certainly worrisome. The law was clear: you had to be checked to see if you had The Disease. So, you went and had it checked. The specialist walked in, looked you in the eye, and said, "I'm sorry. You've got it. You'll have to leave." And suddenly your life as you knew it was over. You had to leave your family without even a goodbye, friends find out later that you were gone; you left home, work, everything you knew. You went to live with others who also had The Disease. The Disease, during Bible times, was leprosy. It was a contagious skin disease that was feared above all else. Modern leprosy isn't the same disease, terrible though it is. The ancient disease was so dreaded that extreme measures were taken to prevent it. This meant total isolation for those who had fallen ill. No contact at all. The teachers of the day connected leprosy with sin. You weren't just sick; you were unclean. When you were cleansed from leprosy, there was an elaborate ceremony to show everyone that you were no longer an outcast.

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The Disease

How would you feel if you had The Disease?

.

Jesus reaches out and does more than heal - He touches. He meets the need beyond the need. He reaches out and touches the untouchable. He wipes away not only the guilt of sin, but also removes the isolation and the hurting it causes - He brings us back from a life of separation

by Tim Archer

Hope for Life

It all started with a white spot on the skin. Nothing painful, but certainly worrisome.

The law was clear: you had to be checked to see if you had The Disease.

So, you went and had it checked. The specialist walked in, looked you in the eye, and said, "I'm sorry. You've got it. You'll have to leave."

And suddenly your life as you knew it was over.

You had to leave your family without even a goodbye, friends find out later that you were gone; you left home, work, everything you knew.

You went to live with others who also had The Disease.

The Disease, during Bible times, was leprosy.

It was a contagious skin disease that was feared above all else.

Modern leprosy isn't the same disease, terrible though it is.

The ancient disease was so dreaded that extreme measures were taken to prevent it.

Above all, this meant total isolation for those who had fallen ill. No contact at all, especially physical contact.

The teachers of the day connected leprosy with sin.

You weren't just sick; you were unclean.

You didn't get well; you were cleansed.

When you were cleansed from leprosy, there was an elaborate ceremony to show everyone that you were no longer an outcast.

But that day rarely came, and if it didn't, you lived the rest of your life cut off from all that you had known and loved.

You would NEVER again feel the touch of another "clean" human being.

Jesus came on the scene and began healing all sorts of illnesses.

One of the first healing stories told in detail is that of a man with leprosy who came to Jesus.

On his knees, the man begged Jesus for healing. Jesus healed him.

Not only did He heal the man, according to the gospel writers, “He touched him” (Mark 1:41).

For the first time in such a long time, someone reached out and touched this man.

Jesus didn't have to touch the man to heal him.

He could have spoken the words from distance.

But Jesus knew that this man needed more than just healing ... he needed to be touched.

Jesus still reaches out to those with The Disease.

The Disease today, though, isn't leprosy. It's sin.

Sin scars ... kills ... isolates. It devastates lives and separates people.

Just as He did on that memorable day, Jesus reaches out and does more than heal. He touches.

He meets the need beyond the need.

He reaches out and touches the untouchable.

He wipes away not only the guilt of sin, but also removes the isolation and the hurting it causes.

He brings us back from a life of separation.

I spend my life trying to tell people about the Master's touch and what it means.

I'd like to tell you about it. If you need to be touched by Jesus, write me at tim@hopeforlife.org.

Tim Archer is the author of Church Inside Out and leads a seminar by the same name on behalf of Hope For Life, a Herald of Truth ministry. (Visit the Author's Website)

Heartlight Provides Positive Resources for Daily Christian Living.

https://www.heartlight.org/articles/200708/20070829_disease.html