Touch.

In the bible book of Luke chapter 5 verses 12-16 we find a really amazing story. It's a story about a needy man. A Leper. Leprosy. It’s a horrible disease. It begins with little specks on the eyelids and on the palms of the hand. Then it spreads over the body. It bleaches the hair white. It casts a pale color over all of the body, crusting the skin with scales and erupting over it with oozing sores. But that’s just what happens on the surface. Penetrating the skin, the disease eats its way through the nerves of the entire body. Soon the body becomes numb, feeling no pleasure and no pain. A toe can break and it will register no pain. And sensing no pain, the leper will continue to walk, only to worsen the break and hasten infection. This happens finger by finger, toe by toe.

If the physical reality isn’t enough, then there is the moral reality. In the days of this story, sin is the lone explanation of being stricken with this horrible disease. The leper is visibly labeled sinful to represent the inner trouble that brought it on. Regulations require that the leper’s outer clothes be torn, the hair be kept messy, the face partially covered. He is to dress as a mourner going to a burial service. Whose burial service? His burial service. And he must call out to anyone who passes by his way, “unclean, unclean”! He is required to stay six feet away from anyone. He is shunned. Little children run from him. Older ones shoo him with stones and sharp cornered remarks. Adults mutter a prayer under their breath, shake their heads in disgust and look the other way.

There is no cure. He is forced to live outside the walls of the city, shuffled off to the leper colony. His food is lowered to the entrance of the cave, a cave crowded with the miserable and the hopeless. Those who brought the food hurry away. The leper’s life is a life of isolation. Friends no longer see him, just family with love, pity and questions. Slowly, family begin to slow in their visits. Then one day he realizes that his mother is the only one who comes anymore. She stands farther and farther away and can’t bring herself to look him in the eyes anymore. Even his own mother is pushing away.

There he lives without hope, without love, without the simple dignities and joys of life. Author Ken Gire wonders about some of these losses….

“Being smiled at, being greeted on the street, buying fresh fruit in the market, talking politics at the public fountain, laughing, getting up to go to work, operating a business, haggling over prices with a shopkeeper, getting a wedding invitation, singing hymns in the synagogue, celebrating passover with family.”

All of these are barred from him forever.

Gire continues…”I wonder how long has it been since someone has shaken his hand, patted him on the back, put an arm around his waist, rubbed his shoulders, hugged him, stroked his hair, touched his cheek, wiped a tear from his eye, or kissed him?”

But on this morning something is different. Out of the monotony of his death like, daily routine, Jesus is near. Jesus is near.

Ahhhh, what a good gift that maybe we're taking for granted today. Jesus is near. Luke chapter 5 verse 12 tells us that when the leper saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, Lord if you’re willing, you can make me clean. That falling to the ground could have done damage to his rotting body, but it didn’t matter. Many times I am aware that I am living my life in a way that says Jesus is not worth dropping to my knees for. But for this desperate man, Jesus was worth dropping to his knees. Maybe I'm just addicted to NOT living a desperate life for God. God change that in me!

But Jesus is near. Begging isn’t always received as a dignified thing, but Jesus is near. It’s worth the risk of not seeming all put together. After all, he is living a life with leprosy. It has taught him about being desperate, inside and out. God can graciously teach us about being desperate! I notice that while begging, the man doesn’t demand. If you are willing. I hear the humility that suffering has perhaps born in his daily life. I want this in my life. Not demanding from God like a vending machine that He do this or do that, but desperate enough that I’m willing to do whatever I must to ask out of my neediness.

I imagine the response of the looking crowd. Oh please get this dirty man away from Jesus. Jesus can’t be bothered with this pitiful man. We want to put our brightest and best up front so that Jesus enjoys his stay. Jesus has places to go. He has people to see. He has people to touch. Yes…... He has people to touch. The touch of Jesus. Is it reserved for the very important people? The synagogue and town leaders? Celebrities and Athletes? Pastors and Missionaries?

Jesus longs for encounter with us! And he loves when we want it with him! Could the touch of Jesus be for me? Dirty, leperous, needy me?

In the bible book of Mark chapter 1 verse 41 we get these extra words to this story, “Jesus, Filled with compassion…”. Oh what an overflowing gift these words are. Jesus’ heart is moved by this man's life!!!!!!!!! This is really BIG for you and I!!!

His heart is affected by this man. His heart is affected by us. His heart is affected by you. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that Jesus would want to have anything to do with a dirty, needy heart such as ours. And we become aware that His heart is for us, His heart is moved with compassion towards us. Our need and desperation doesn’t push Him away from us.

*****This changes everything!!!!!*****

Our neediness actually draws Him toward us and draws us toward Him. Jesus actually slows in interest of a needy heart, rather than speeding up to avoid the messiness of my leprous heart. This is good news for us as we look ruthlessly at our interior world and realize just how needy and messy we really are.

In Luke chapter 5 verse 13 it seems as though this could almost be like a slow motion moment. Is this really going to happen? “No Jesus, you don’t want to do that, not him, not this man. He is not worth your attention, He is not worth being infected over!” Verse 13, “Jesus reached out His hand…...and TOUCHED the man.” Wow. Divinity fully touching depravity. “No Jesus, you don’t want to do that, not me, not Damon. I am not worth your attention. You don’t want to touch me. I am not worth being infected over!” I will infect you! Yes we DID, and He loves us still!!!! Life changing.

2 Corinthians chapter 5verse 21 declares, “God made Him who had no sin, Jesus, to BE sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” He didn’t just die for our sin, He died covered in them. This is the good news of Jesus. He didn’t merely die for our sin. He BECAME our sin and paid for it in His death. He infected Himself with the essence of who we were, oozing with sin, and healed us with the very touch of His blood. What a wonder! God let us see that for the first time or somehow make it fresh for us today. Lord may it be so.

There's more.