Touched and Made Well

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 18th of July, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:  http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth where He was mostly rejected, where everyone there knew Him as the son of a carpenter and not as God.  So He went into the surrounding towns and villages and sent His twelve disciples out, sent them out in pairs after giving them power over unclean spirits, sent them out to spread the Gospel and preach repentance.

Jesus warned them that some would not listen, would not hear the truth.  The disciples should just shake these non-believers off, for their fate will be terrible.  And they did as Jesus commanded, casting out many demons, anointing the sick with oil and healing them.

I imagine this would have been rather stressful work for the disciples, going out pretty much on their own without their Lord.  Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Mark described their return and what happened next, as reported in chapter 6 of his Gospel account, verses 30 through 34 and verses 53 through 56, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

--Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving Your Son Jesus Your own Holy Spirit and the power to make us well.  We are frail in body, and often need healing, but we also often become weak in spirit and need to be made whole.  Thank You, God, for Your healing touch in our lives.  Please help us let others know that they too can be made whole through Jesus.  Help us show them how the touch of our Lord has healed our soul and can make them well too.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and our service to Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Strengthen us and let us feel Your healing touch this day.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus, your Son and our Redeemer.   Amen.

According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys.  He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.  Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground.  Then he said to the critical Athenian, "Now, answer the riddle, if you can.  Tell us what the unstrung bow implies."  The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make.  Aesop explained, "If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it."

People are like that, too: we’ll eventually break if we’re always kept tense.  That's why we all need to take some time to rest.  In today's Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of ministry.  And in Genesis 2:3 of the Old Testament, God set a pattern for us when He "rested from all His work".

When we relax a little, we can let God’s healing touch work its wonders.  So let’s take His example seriously and rest from all our work.  We can start by setting aside a special time to relax physically and so renew ourselves emotionally and spiritually.  We will be at our best for the Lord if we have taken time to loosen the bow.  

When the disciples returned from their assigned task, Jesus told them to rest for a spell.  They were likely tired and a little stressed out, and there was still a lot commotion around Jesus, with many folk coming and going just to see Him.  Mark noted that there was so much going on around them that they didn’t even have time to eat.  So Jesus said let’s just all get away to ourselves for a while and take a break.

They climbed aboard a boat and headed out to a deserted place, but the crowds saw them leave and followed on foot.  When Jesus and the disciples reached shore, the multitude was waiting for them.  So much for their break!

The part of the scripture that I left out, between verses 35 and 52, was when Jesus fed the 5000 men, and who knows how many women and children, making that huge meal from only five loaves of bread and two fishes.  That was certainly no time for rest for Jesus or the disciples.  They stayed constantly busy seeing to the needs of the people that flocked around this miraculous healer.  And it was like this everywhere Jesus went.  Once He was recognized, the people immediately flocked to Him.

Why?  Because they knew He could heal them.  Even if they could only touch the hem of His garment, Jesus could make them well.

Family, one thing we pray for every week is that God touch us and make us well, make us whole.  We’re not just asking for healing in our bodies alone, but in our minds, our hearts, and our spirits as well.  And not just for ourselves as individuals, but for our loved ones, for those we may not personally know, for our nation, and for society as a whole.  We also pray that God’s Holy Spirit would touch and soften the hearts of the lost and the non-believers, that they too might be saved.

We pray for that divine, miraculous touch because that is how Jesus healed folks when He walked this earth.  As we just read in Mark’s Gospel account, everywhere Jesus went, the sick and infirm - both in body and in spirit - came to Him or were brought to Him to be made well.  Jesus didn’t really need to touch them, and didn’t always do so, but so often He would simply reach out His hand, or take someone by the hand, to make them well, to make them whole again.

Please listen and follow along to three such occurrences that the Apostle Matthew reported for us in chapter 9 of his Gospel account, verses 18 through 31…

18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.

27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

--Matthew 9:18-31 (NKJV)

We know those stories; we’ve talked about them before.  They are a testament to faith, and to Jesus’ healing power, able even to raise the dead back to life, made well with just a touch, just a word.  By their faith and belief in Jesus’ authority and ability to heal them, these people we’ve heard about this morning were made well.

But family, it isn’t just physical bodies that Jesus can touch and heal.  By the touch of His blood we are healed of our sin and made right with God.  By His touch on our lives we are made whole, complete in Him, reunited through Him with our Father God.  When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Master, He touched us and made us well.

Now it’s our turn.  Jesus told the healed blind men not to tell anyone what had happened to them because it wasn’t quite yet time for His real purpose and identity to be made known.  But now He has commanded us to go out and tell everyone all about Him, tell the whole world what He has done for us.  Jesus wants everyone to reach out and touch Him so they can be made well.

Like those blind men, we need to spread the news about Him, the Good News, in all our country and in all the world.  We have been touched and made well!  Let everyone know!  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for the great compassionate love and mercy You show us.  Thank You for giving us faith in Your Son so that we are spared the eternal death and separation from You.  And thank You for showing us by Your own example that we need to take time to rest, to allow our bodies and our spirits a chance to regain strength.  Please, Father, help us as we strive to serve You and Jesus.  Sometimes we get too caught up in the busyness of this world and don’t stop long enough to eat of Your word of life.  Sometimes we forget what matters most.  Please, Father, catch us when we stumble, hold us up when our legs become weary, see us through another day.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, during Your short ministry on earth, You healed thousands of people, not only of physical illnesses and infirmities but also of spiritual weaknesses and failings.  You healed the lame, the blind, the deaf, even brought the dead back to life.  You cast out unclean spirits and renewed souls.  You touched the people or they touched You and were made whole again.  Thank You, Jesus, for touching us and making us well.  Lord Jesus, we ask You to help us show others how we have been healed by Your touch in our lives.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love in a world where hatred and distrust seem to grow stronger each day.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.