Life Ministries

“The Power Of Touch”
Matthew 8:1-3 and Luke 7:11-17 and Luke 8:40-48

    We human beings possess five different senses, all of which are important to our existence…as well as to the understanding of the world around us. They are of course, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Without any one of these we are said to be “handicapped”.

    It has also been said that if a person were to lose one of these senses, the others would take over and become high-ly sensitive to make up for the loss. While I would not want to lose any one of my senses, there have been times when I have had a cold and I can’t smell anything, and, if it is severe enough, I can’t taste anything either.
    My eyesight is not what it used to be, and I have to wear reading glasses…unless I can change to a larger font. I have suffered some hearing loss, and, as Bill Cosby says; “since turning 50 all the factory warranty’s have expired and things just start falling apart!”
    But, of all our senses, I have never heard of anyone losing their sense of touch. Can you imagine not being able to touch your world? Can you imagine not being able to feel anything? Not being able to touch those you love?  We don’t think about it much, but touch could be the most sensitive of all our senses. With 1000’s of nerve sensors sending impulses to the brain, we touch things all the time, everyday, and don’t really think about it.
    There are times when we deliberately touch something to see how it feels texture wise. Or, in the case of a grand-child, we touch because we desire intimate contact…And, touch certainly stirs within us certain emotions like love, compassion, and so on.  Sometimes our touch can even effect change in that which we touch; (a pool of quiet water is affected by our touch,) A touch can be creative and sensitive…or it can be destructive. It can be a carress, or it can be a destructive blow!  Let’s look at the power of touch as it concerns Christ…
     During times of prayer, I have heard the words; “Lord, touch his life”… Now, this could mean anything from a “smack him along side the head!” to “Give him a holy hug!”
Or, touch his hurt and make him well. But, I believe those simple words have more power than we think. When we pray these words, it may be for one of two reasons; (1.) We don’t know exactly what we specifically should pray for, so we simply pray for God to “touch” them. Or, (2.) Because we really understand the power that is released and received in a touch, and especially the touch of God. In fact, we could say these words in prayer for both reasons.
    The touch of God is a powerful touch. It is an intimate touch. It is a transforming touch. The touch of God always invokes change, and, it is always needed change in the object of His touch. We know there is something that needs to be changed, so we pray; “Lord, touch... It may be a healing touch; it may be a spiritual touch; a comforting touch; a change in circumstance touch; or even change of thinking or action or lifestyle touch…but it is a powerful touch we are asking for!
(A.) It transforms those with sickness. In Matthew 8:14 it says that “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s Mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever”. He “touched” her and the fever left and she got up and served him. There is healing power in the touch of God.
(B.) It transforms the deaf. In Mark 7:31-35 it says; “Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf, and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to ‘place his hand on the man’. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat on his finger and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said “Eph-pha-tha” which means “be opened” At this, the man’s ears were opened, and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak plainly,” ( More on this tomorrow)