from Tom and Mary’s communion message at the January 12, 2020 Southside worship service, Hampton Roads church…
1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Matthew 8:1-4, NIV
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Imagine the scene: large crowds of people followed Jesus down from the mountainside where he had just spoken to them, what we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. The crowd must have been in awe, following to see where Jesus was headed, as with most crowds, talking loudly, maybe some shouting out more questions to Jesus, others sharing what they heard with others around them. They were all excited and ready to follow him to wherever they could hear him speak next.
Then suddenly a man with leprosy appears and approaches the large crowd walking toward him. Israelites were commanded to not touch those with leprosy – it made them unclean and there was a process to follow. It meant some work if they even accidentally were to touch someone with leprosy, so they often went out of their way to avoid them. I can imagine the crowd stepping back with some walking away as the man came up to and knelt down before Jesus.
Leprosy in those days was essentially uncurable and required the person to present themselves to the priests to make a sacrifice to appeal to God. Only one miraculous healing of leprosy had previously been recorded: Miriam, Moses’ sister, had her hand healed of leprosy (Num 12:10-15). The leper was completely without hope and in his desperation, he turned to the One he knew could heal the sick.
What was Jesus’ response? He doesn’t hesitate to reach his hand out and touch the man! Jesus was willing to touch him and heal him. Coming into contact with Jesus was the only way for the man to be healed and he was blessed by Jesus by a simple touch.
What about today? Is Jesus still willing to reach out his hand and touch us? how do we come in contact with him?
Contact with Jesus for us is through the Word and church, and we celebrate communion each week where we come in contact with Jesus’ body and blood through the bread and fruit of the vine we share. Like the man with leprosy, we approach Jesus desperate for his touch, not to heal us physically but to heal us spiritually. And he is willing to reach out and touch us through his sacrifice on the cross.
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Eph 2:1-2, 6-8, NIV
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
The man with leprosy came to Jesus with no other hope and no other way to be healed, and we come to Jesus with no other hope for our salvation. He’s the only one who can heal us and give us hope. We come into contact with him through his body and blood, which he sacrificed on the cross for our sins.
Jesus is not only willing to reach out and touch us, but also to raise us up and seat us with him before God! He wants to touch us but he also wants to be with us forever. What an amazing gift to come in contact with Jesus!
When we take the bread and cup of communion we remember him and his sacrifice and how he lives on as our Christ and Lord. Let him reach out and touch your life today.