Being Touched

Mark 1: 40-45
17 April 2011 (Palm Sunday)

I would like for you to travel with me this morning. I’d like to take you to Jerusalem that day – do you remember that day when Jesus made His triumphant entry into the city? No one quite remembers how the rumours started, but there were rumours all right. It was in the days leading to the Passover. There was already an influx of people coming. Many of them were coming to offer their sacrifices to God in the holy temple.
Whether it was them who brought the news is unclear. But soon there was a buzz. The Holy One of God was near. The Holy One – the Messiah – the One Jews had been waiting for – the one who had been prophesied about for so long was said to be coming into Jerusalem.
Very few people doubted that He was the One because of all the things He did. He healed people, He cast out demons just the way our teachers and prophets had said He would. And so many people heard Him speak about the coming of a new kingdom. He Himself had said He had come just for that, to announce the arrival of a new era.
When the rumours started to circulate that He was coming soon, people were starting to get excited. Could this be the moment? That was talk in a lot of places in and around the city. And then word came that He was actually on His way.
A few people started to rush to the road coming into Jerusalem. They wanted to see Him for themselves. Then a few more came and next thing you knew, both sides of the road were filling up. There was a high murmur of anticipation. Some people even climbed the trees to grab branches, offering palm leaves to their neighbour standing beside them. Were they going to use them as flags?
Then finally, over the edge of the road, we could see Him. And all at once, just as if on cue, people stated to sing and dance and clap. Thos who had taken palm branches off the tress started to throw them on the road. Some people even took their coats off – all this to make a welcoming carpet for the One and Only, the new King.
“Hosanna!” People chanted. Other burst with “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, our God!” And not to be out done, others shouted, “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, the great king David.” And all together again, they sang, “Hosanna in the highest!”
People couldn’t stand still. Everyone was trying to touch him or see him up close. He was sitting on a donkey, his closest allies surrounding him. And as soon as the procession passed by, the people filled in behind, making this like a parade that had not been seen since the days of King David himself, I’m sure.
What a wonderful and jubilant moment this was. Do you remember? But do you know why that day became possible? Do you know why so many people came to greet Him that day as He made His way to our nation’s capital, to God’s holy city? Well, in large measure, I think it’s my fault. Not that what I did was bad – or even wrong for that matter. I just couldn’t help it.
Do you want to know what I did? Before I can tell you, I have to go back.
It all started when one day, I noticed a red patch on my belly. Had I been bitten by an insect through the night? It was itchy, but manageable. As the days wore on, the patch grew bigger and was getting redder. Little bumps started to appear too. It did so much itch but it was sore. It hurt. I was getting worried. I could start feeling it on my back too. Did I have the dreaded disease?
I didn’t dare ask anyone – not yet. I couldn’t bear think of it. I vowed to keep it quiet. No one had to know. I could hide it under my clothes. But then it stated to appear on my legs and my arms. I was so miserable. I had to confess I was a leper. I was a condemned man – condemned by God for why did I get that disease?
I was condemned by my family – I was no longer fit to work and provide for them. Not only that. My mere presence in the house would have condemned them too. What if I infected them? Did I want God’s curse on them too?
I was condemned by the town’s priest who examined me. When he asked me how long I had been like this. When I told him over two weeks, he asked me if I was getting better or worse. I said I was worse. He then shouted as loud as he could, “Simeon, you are unclean. From now on you must cover the bottom of your face. Whenever someone comes near you, you must shout that you are unclean, lest they become unclean too by coming too close to you or worse, touch you. You must also leave this town and never return until you are healed. If and once you are healed, I or another priest will examine you and if we determine that you are indeed healed, we will do what is necessary to be clean again. Then you will be allowed back to the village and your home. Do you understand?”
Did I understand? Of course I did. But I was so broken up, it was not just my body that gave me pain, but my heart, my head, everything was in pain. I nodded my head because holding on to my tears took all the energy I had. I couldn’t speak.
Crying, I made my way in the wilderness, banished from my home, banished from my family, banished from my community. How I prayed. How I prayed night and day, day and night. “God please, I plead with you, heal me! Take that curse of leprosy away from me.” But nothing, nothing was happening.
That is until the day I met Him. I had heard of things happening in Capernaum, how so many people had been healed by this man before. I heard from well-meaning travellers walking on the road that goes by my little hut that there was a healer nearby. Some said that they, themselves, had been healed from a disease. A man even told me he had had an evil spirit and the man had removed it. They all said that He could probably do something for me.
I thought about it. I was a man without hope – as good as dead to the world around me. What did I have to lose? I started to look for him. From a distance, I asked passersby if they had seen or heard of the Healer. Those who had directed me in the direction they thought He was. It took me a few days, but one morning, I heard he was near where I was. I waited outside the village for him to come out on His way to another place.
And then He appeared. I knew it was Him because of the crowd pressing near Him. I rushed to Him, fell down right in front of Him and begged him, through tears, “Sir, Sir. I have heard about you. I know you can heal me if you are willing. Please. I beg you, make me clean again. I want to live!”
Through my tears, I could see Him looking down at me. “I am willing,” He said. My heart leapt within me! He was going to make be well. I expected Him to say the some healing formula, but I saw his hand reach for me. He was going to touch me. I tried to get up as quick as I could. I didn’t want Him to touch me. I didn’t want him to become unclean because of me. But I wasn’t quick enough. He touched my shoulder and said, “Be clean.”
And believe it or not, the pain that I had lived with for so long was gone. Just like that. I felt my arms, my chest, my legs. There was no pain. There were no more bumps. I lifted my sleeve. The redness was gone. I was healed! I was clean! The curse had been removed.
I took my face shield off. I was smiling so much I couldn’t articulate any words. I mumbled something or another as I got to my feet. I kissed him – yes I kissed him. I kissed his hands, I kissed His cheeks. I just couldn’t contain myself.
After a few moments, He held me by the shoulders and looked at me with all the seriousness of the world. “Friend, I don’t want you to tell anyone what happened here. What I want you to do is to go back to your village. Call the priest and let him examine you. He’ll be the one to declare you clean to the people. And offer the sacrifices that the Law of Moses dictates for you cleansing. No go, friend, go.”
I left all right. But there was so much joy, so much happiness in me that everyone I encountered heard about Jesus. He had touched me. He had touched me, a leper and He made me clean! How can you keep that quiet? On my way home, whenever I saw someone who was sick or distraught or in need of anything, I told them about Jesus. Through the villages and the towns I passed on my way to my family, I let everyone know: “Do you need to be healed? Do you need to find hope? Do you need to be made clean? Go and find the man named Jesus. He’ll touch you like you have never been touched before.”
Next thing I heard, Jesus couldn’t travel anymore because anywhere He went, people would do just what I told them to do! They went to be touched by Him. And that went on and on until that day in Jerusalem.
Do you see what I mean now that it is partly my fault for all those crowds?
And I haven’t stopped telling people about Jesus’ touch. Do you need a friend – a real friend? Do you need hope, true hope for your life? Do you need direction, real direction for living? Do you want to know the truth, the truth about who you are? Do you want to find love, real, everlasting love? Do you want freedom, real freedom from issues, from feelings that weigh you down? Then go search for Jesus. Look for Him until you find Him and let Him touch you.
He touched me, an untouchable, and a leper. He will touch you.
And once He does, don’t keep it in – tell your friend. Tell someone else who needs to be touched. And never forget how he touched you.