Loving Like Jesus: The Power of Touch

April 6, 2014

Loving Like Jesus

Power of a Touch

Mark 1:40-45

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Introduction

The power of love is an amazing thing!

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• Expressions of love can bring together people and groups of people in a way that nothing else can.

We can show other God by showing His love.

• God is love.

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• John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
• Can we love like Jesus?

This morning’s lesson on the power of touch.

• We can love people like Jesus did when we learn to touch people like Jesus did.

Our skin is the largest organ in the human body.

• On the average adult:
• There is 21 sq. ft. of skin covering their body.
• There is somewhere around 9 lbs. of skin.
• In that skin there is close to 11 miles of blood vessels.

Skin is a special creation!

• It helps us to feel the world around us.
• Within our skin are different types of receptors.
• With these receptors we can respond to pain and touch.

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Text

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.  Mark 1:40-45

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Here we have the first recorded healing that Jesus performs.

• And out of all the sick and needy who is it that Jesus heals?
• A LEPER!
• Lepers were the “untouchable”
• This was a contagious disease that attacks the nervous system, and it compromises their ability to feel pain.
• They may stumble of a rock or get stuck by a thorn.
• Not knowing there is a problem a infection sets in and usually leads to the limb falling off.

• A leper was also isolated from touching, and depraved from feeling a touch.
• In the OT God imposed a quarantine on lepers:
• No temple worship
• If other encountered them they were to shout out “Unclean”
• To touch a leper would be expose one to certain infection.

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Why heal the lepers?

• He was a social outcast.
• He was cut off from society and from God.
• Why heal? Because this was the exact people Jesus came to heal.
• EX. - You have dealing with a person and not know that they were an evil tax collector.
• You might pass by a woman and not know that she was a prostitute.
• A leper could not hide their sickness.
• By healing/touching this leper it was proof of who He was.
• John the Baptist, while in prison wanted his followers to ask Jesus who He was.

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• 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.  Matt. 11:4-5
• If you want to know who I am...look at who I heal!

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Jesus touched many people in His ministry:

• Peter’s mother in law when she was sick.
• Touched the eyes of the blind man when he was healed.
• He put His fingers in the ears of the deaf man when He restored His hearing.
• He touched the lifeless girl when she was brought back to life.
• He didn’t have to touch, He could have healed them by speaking the words.

• 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.  Luke. 17:12-14

Lesson

The lesson for us is to have the compassion that Jesus does.

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Back to the question, Why?

• Why did Jesus touch this leprous man?
• Notice vs. 41

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• “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”
• He was moved with pity...this is to say that he had compassion on this man.
• The man needed more than healing...he needed to be TOUCHED!
• Think about this:

• God, in the flesh, touched Him and brought not only healing but COMFORT!

Touching someone is the basic expression of love, it creates a connection.

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• EX. - As a shepherd would call in his sheep.
• They would pass by him as they entered the enclosure, and he would reach out and touch them.
• The sheep were comfortable with him.
• He spoke and they listened
• We are God’s people, and sheep in His pasture.
• He cares for us in a way that no one else could possibly care.
• He shows His love and care in the most basic of ways.

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Action Step

Touch someone!

• Express the love and care of God with a compassionate touch.
• It could happen here, at a hospital, a nursing home, your home.

Conclusion

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“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love...So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:8, 16

• We are called to imitate His love.
• We are called to be people of love!

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• Let us learn to touch one another.
• Touch those who have never been touched before!