“Stop touching me!” This is likely a familiar refrain from the family couch at TV time or the car’s back seat on the family vacation.  It’s not likely that it was ever heard from the lips of the Son of God.  Jesus; the Word that was with God; Jesus, who was God; Jesus; who created all things, became one of us and invited us to touch Him and to be touched by Him! 

The word ‘touch’ can be used in a variety of ways.  We say that we get in touch with someone, meaning we contact them.  We can be described as ‘touchy’ or ‘a soft touch’, that is one who is insensitive to the slightest of issues or one who is able to demonstrate sensitivity to another.  Touch is how we connect with one another, touch can be healing.  That connection can be physical, emotional, or spiritual.

How many times do you recall Jesus either touching or being touched by someone?  Do you remember the leper who came knowing that Jesus could cleanse him if He was willing?  Jesus was willing and He reached out and touched the unclean man making him clean.  When Peter’s mother-in-law lay burning up with fever Jesus came to her, took her by the hand and lifted her up with the fever immediately leaving her.  Another instance found Jesus in the home of a synagogue ruler whose daughter had been ill and eventually had died.  Jesus rebuked those present, saying, “The child has not died, but is asleep.”  Jesus then took her by the hand, instructed her to arise and it happened as He commanded.  Another woman who had an issue of blood fought through a crowd just to touch the cloak of Jesus.  Immediately her affliction was cured.  That’s the way of Jesus, when He comes into contact with someone they are changed, improved, for the better.

In his book “Walk with Me”, Prentice Meador, Jr writes, “God touched us once when He created us… in His Son Jesus, He touched us again.”  By virtue of our son-ship in Adam, we have all been touched by God in creation.  Contact with God in Jesus is possible only if we let Him.  At the cross Jesus touched us all in a spiritual way.  Our affliction of sin was conquered by Jesus’ sacrifice of self and He tells us who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him and He will give us rest.  Have you received the personal touch of Jesus and accepted the rest he offers?

Copyright © 2010, Nolan P. Rutter