Spiritual Distancing

“Christ is the Good Physician. There is no disease He cannot heal; no sin He cannot remove; no trouble He cannot help. He is the Balm of Gilead, the Great Physician who has never yet failed to heal all the spiritual maladies of every soul that has come unto Him in faith and prayer.” - James H. Aughey

We all want to stay safe, so going outside requires a mask and gloves. If we encounter bad things, we could be infected. Sadly, we must assume that everyone is a threat, so we avoid getting close to others and never touch anything that might be contaminated.

Fortunately, Jesus had a better idea.

Leprosy’s cruel, lingering, and deadly reality was to be avoided. Matthew recalls. “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.” (Matthew 8:2-3)

Jesus’ miraculous power could have spanned a safe six feet between Himself and the infected man, but Jesus chose to touch him. Possibly to connect personally and lovingly with this outcast. But maybe more so to shock the crowd. His touch showed the difference between Him and us: our humanity makes us susceptible to the dangers in this world. We are compelled to keep our distance, but Jesus’ divine touch brings healing and cleansing. 

We are not Jesus – we are wise to be, careful to avoid both the physical and spiritual dangers of this world. But remember, His cleansing touch makes all things new.