“Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him,
and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.”
Luke 4:40
Jesus laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. This is how personal the touch of our Lord is.
He, no doubt, could have spoken over the crowd and healed them all at once. More efficient, some might say.
But that isn’t what Jesus did. No, He wanted each person to come to Him individually. Brought to Him by friends or family, they had to choose for themselves to draw near and be healed. And as each approached the Savior, the Son of God, He looked them in the eyes and touched them, seeking not only to remove their physical sickness, but to establish that personal connection that could lead them to God the Father and heal their spiritual brokenness.
Jesus desires a relationship with us. On a very personal, one-on-one level. That’s why He came – to seek and to save the lost, seeking out each wandering sheep and calling them by name into the fold (Luke 19:10; Matthew 18:12; John 10:3, 27). And once we are His, that healing touch continues. Penetrating to the deepest, darkest pieces of our heart. Purifying and restoring us to the beautiful, God-glorifying vessel He purposed us to be.
It isn’t an easy task. But He accomplishes it perfectly. Never ceasing His work of cleansing power and sustaining grace. Constantly continuing His faithful work to heal us and bring us to greater understandings of joy and freedom.
If you haven’t known this healing touch, this personal relationship, I pray that you draw near to Him today. Jesus is the One who knows you more fully than anyone else. Every secret, every fear, every question, every hope. And knowing all of this, He will not turn away. He will reach down, without hesitation, and draw you out – of darkness, of guilt, of loneliness, of despair, of captivity. Whatever tries to hold you back, He will grasp your hand, break the chains, and speak peace to your soul. You will not find condemnation here. Only grace. Only love that is pure and unfading. From this point on, He will be faithfully restoring you and making you whole in Him.
For those who have experienced that initial touch of Christ, know this: His touch still works miracles in your soul. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is now at work inside of you. He is still mighty to save. His touch can still mend your brokenness. It can still cleanse your soul. It can still bring light to your darkness and healing to even the deepest, most “unreachable” part of you. There is still forgiveness, restoration, and joy found here. Simply draw near once again to the cross. Allow your Savior to reach in and draw you out. He understands. And His love is still unfading, for every one of us.
“While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy.
And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’
And immediately the leprosy left him.”
Luke 5:12-13
In Pleasant Places 