Trinity 24 November 19, 2023
Matthew 9:18-26
The Power of Touch
v.18-21 While He was still saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed Him, with His disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will be made well.”
Dear friends in Christ, touch is incredibly important. In fact, it is vital for each and every single one of us. Personal touch by another human being is a basic human need. Indeed, research shows that babies in orphanages who do not receive much human contact, generally wither away and die before they reach the age of two years old. We all have a need for another’s touch. We crave the compassionate, caring, loving touch of another human being—especially in times of great distress.
Take for example our text for this morning. A man—a father—in desperate need—comes and prostrates himself before Jesus—urging Him—begging Him—to come and lay His hand on his daughter and raise her to life. And a woman—plagued with a bleeding disorder for twelve years—twelve years in which she has been ritually unclean in Judaism—twelve years with little to no human contact for fear of her contaminating others—twelve years of endless frustration—spending her money on doctors and remedies that never work—now comes to Jesus—thinking in her heart that if she could just touch His garment—she might be healed!
And Jesus touches them back. He touches them with His deep, divine compassion and mercy. He touches the ruler’s daughter with His mighty healing hand—calling her back from death to life. He touches the woman—reassuring her of His gentle loving-kindness—taking her—an outcast—and making her into a shining example of faith. He heals her—and publicly commends her faith as that which made her well.
So…how do you need God’s touch in your life? What great problems are you struggling with? What fears, anxieties, worries, and trials have got you down? What sin has touched you so deeply that you feel that it can never be overcome? Do you sometimes feel dead inside? Do you sometimes feel completely alone—even when surrounded by other people? Do the cares and worries of this life press in around you and hem you in—making you feel lost and afraid?
Beloved…you are not alone! The life of the Christian is constantly filled with trials and sufferings. Times in which Satan and the world and even our own sinful flesh wage war against us—seeking to bring us down and destroy us. And you know…you know—that you cannot fight this battle on your own. You know that you are powerless and defenceless against the evil one, apart from Christ.
And that is the key! Apart from Christ you can do nothing. So…Flee! Run! As the ruler and woman both upon hearing word that Jesus was near ran to Him—so too must you and I run to Jesus. Into His loving arms where we are protected and cared for. In His loving embrace—our greatest fears—our biggest enemies—are defeated—undone—beaten by His gentle touch.
For Jesus came not to be touched with the great luxurious things of this world—but rather He came to be contaminated—touched by your sin. All the evil—all the hurt—all the suffering that is so commonplace in this broken world—Jesus came to put an end to it. And not by merely waving His arm and having it all magically disappear. No. He came to get down and dirty. He came to immerse Himself—to be steeped in—the problems and evils of this world—to take on your sin and mine—and to carry it in His own body to the cross of Golgotha—where He would be touched by the cruel nails and spear of the Roman soldiers—where He would feel the wrath of God for our sin unleashed against His own innocent flesh—where the insults of the people would prick Him as deeply as the thorns pressed into His brow.
Jesus came to do this for you…for me…for the person down the street…for those who have never even heard of His name except in curses. Jesus’ love is so great and so pure that while you and I were still sinners—He died for us. He died…so that He might touch you with His life—His healing—His power and mercy—reaching out to you with a compassion that knows no boundaries. Whatever it is that you have done—no matter how deeply you have wallowed in the filthy touch of your own sin. Whatever it is that has been done to you—no matter how deeply you have been hurt by the sinful touch of others—Christ has taken it all into Himself and suffered and died for it. What is more—He has risen in victory over it! So that now His life and purity is yours!
How? How can He touch you now? How can He heal you and bring you to life? How can He make you pure and holy? We do not see Him here before us in the flesh to lay His hand upon our dead loved one and raise them up. We do not see Him here curing all our ailments and diseases. No. But He is here nonetheless—He is here in this place of worship—where He has always promised to be—for where two or three are gathered together in His name—where His Gospel of the free forgiveness of sins and peace is announced to all people—where His sacraments are administered to sinners in need of a Saviour–there He is! Right here–right now! He is here to bring you His peace and joy.
Jesus HAS indeed touched you, dear friends. He has touched you this day in the sure and certain proclamation of Holy Absolution in which all of your many sins were erased—forgiven entirely and freely—by the His own shed blood. He has touched you in your Baptism. When the water was poured out upon you in the holy name of our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all His rich gifts and blessings were imparted to you—and He touched you with His healing power—forgiving you all your sins and raising you from a life of death and misery—to an everlasting life of joy in His Kingdom–pure and holy in His name.
Shortly, you will be coming forward to this altar to receive the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus, where He will touch you with His own life-giving body and blood present in bread and wine. Can you see it? Can you smell it? Can you taste it? Can you touch it? Yes. And we touch Him not merely in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense. For, to our earthly eyes, ears, nose, and hands, it looks, sounds, smells, and feels like simple bread and wine. Yet, to the eyes of faith—faith which trusts in the proclaimed Word of Christ and His promises attached to the bread and wine—namely that the forgiveness of all your sins is given and assured in this Sacrament for herein ARE His true body and blood—then you truly do touch and receive the healing power of Christ Himself.
Touch is important. Touch is powerful. Especially when done in faith. For faith properly receives what is offered—faith receives what is promised. Faith is produced through the hearing of the Word. Though the woman and the ruler saw Jesus with their physical eyes as a man, yet by faith they saw Him as He truly is—their Saviour. And by faith they clung to His Word of hope and promise. For the Word produces a spiritual seeing/touching in the heart. As it has in yours.
For faith leads you to this place. Faith calls you to this altar to touch with your hands and taste with your lips—the goodness of God—in the shed body and blood of Christ our Saviour. Christ has touched each of you with His life-giving mercy—raising you up from the spiritual death that sin had brought upon you. Jesus touches you—through His Word—in His absolution—through water, bread, and wine—to comfort and assure you that all He won for you with His own death and resurrection—is now and forevermore—fully and freely—yours. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Matthew 9:18-26
The Power of Touch
v.18-21 While He was still saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed Him, with His disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will be made well.”
Dear friends in Christ, touch is incredibly important. In fact, it is vital for each and every single one of us. Personal touch by another human being is a basic human need. Indeed, research shows that babies in orphanages who do not receive much human contact, generally wither away and die before they reach the age of two years old. We all have a need for another’s touch. We crave the compassionate, caring, loving touch of another human being—especially in times of great distress.
Take for example our text for this morning. A man—a father—in desperate need—comes and prostrates himself before Jesus—urging Him—begging Him—to come and lay His hand on his daughter and raise her to life. And a woman—plagued with a bleeding disorder for twelve years—twelve years in which she has been ritually unclean in Judaism—twelve years with little to no human contact for fear of her contaminating others—twelve years of endless frustration—spending her money on doctors and remedies that never work—now comes to Jesus—thinking in her heart that if she could just touch His garment—she might be healed!
And Jesus touches them back. He touches them with His deep, divine compassion and mercy. He touches the ruler’s daughter with His mighty healing hand—calling her back from death to life. He touches the woman—reassuring her of His gentle loving-kindness—taking her—an outcast—and making her into a shining example of faith. He heals her—and publicly commends her faith as that which made her well.
So…how do you need God’s touch in your life? What great problems are you struggling with? What fears, anxieties, worries, and trials have got you down? What sin has touched you so deeply that you feel that it can never be overcome? Do you sometimes feel dead inside? Do you sometimes feel completely alone—even when surrounded by other people? Do the cares and worries of this life press in around you and hem you in—making you feel lost and afraid?
Beloved…you are not alone! The life of the Christian is constantly filled with trials and sufferings. Times in which Satan and the world and even our own sinful flesh wage war against us—seeking to bring us down and destroy us. And you know…you know—that you cannot fight this battle on your own. You know that you are powerless and defenceless against the evil one, apart from Christ.
And that is the key! Apart from Christ you can do nothing. So…Flee! Run! As the ruler and woman both upon hearing word that Jesus was near ran to Him—so too must you and I run to Jesus. Into His loving arms where we are protected and cared for. In His loving embrace—our greatest fears—our biggest enemies—are defeated—undone—beaten by His gentle touch.
For Jesus came not to be touched with the great luxurious things of this world—but rather He came to be contaminated—touched by your sin. All the evil—all the hurt—all the suffering that is so commonplace in this broken world—Jesus came to put an end to it. And not by merely waving His arm and having it all magically disappear. No. He came to get down and dirty. He came to immerse Himself—to be steeped in—the problems and evils of this world—to take on your sin and mine—and to carry it in His own body to the cross of Golgotha—where He would be touched by the cruel nails and spear of the Roman soldiers—where He would feel the wrath of God for our sin unleashed against His own innocent flesh—where the insults of the people would prick Him as deeply as the thorns pressed into His brow.
Jesus came to do this for you…for me…for the person down the street…for those who have never even heard of His name except in curses. Jesus’ love is so great and so pure that while you and I were still sinners—He died for us. He died…so that He might touch you with His life—His healing—His power and mercy—reaching out to you with a compassion that knows no boundaries. Whatever it is that you have done—no matter how deeply you have wallowed in the filthy touch of your own sin. Whatever it is that has been done to you—no matter how deeply you have been hurt by the sinful touch of others—Christ has taken it all into Himself and suffered and died for it. What is more—He has risen in victory over it! So that now His life and purity is yours!
How? How can He touch you now? How can He heal you and bring you to life? How can He make you pure and holy? We do not see Him here before us in the flesh to lay His hand upon our dead loved one and raise them up. We do not see Him here curing all our ailments and diseases. No. But He is here nonetheless—He is here in this place of worship—where He has always promised to be—for where two or three are gathered together in His name—where His Gospel of the free forgiveness of sins and peace is announced to all people—where His sacraments are administered to sinners in need of a Saviour–there He is! Right here–right now! He is here to bring you His peace and joy.
Jesus HAS indeed touched you, dear friends. He has touched you this day in the sure and certain proclamation of Holy Absolution in which all of your many sins were erased—forgiven entirely and freely—by the His own shed blood. He has touched you in your Baptism. When the water was poured out upon you in the holy name of our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all His rich gifts and blessings were imparted to you—and He touched you with His healing power—forgiving you all your sins and raising you from a life of death and misery—to an everlasting life of joy in His Kingdom–pure and holy in His name.
Shortly, you will be coming forward to this altar to receive the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus, where He will touch you with His own life-giving body and blood present in bread and wine. Can you see it? Can you smell it? Can you taste it? Can you touch it? Yes. And we touch Him not merely in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense. For, to our earthly eyes, ears, nose, and hands, it looks, sounds, smells, and feels like simple bread and wine. Yet, to the eyes of faith—faith which trusts in the proclaimed Word of Christ and His promises attached to the bread and wine—namely that the forgiveness of all your sins is given and assured in this Sacrament for herein ARE His true body and blood—then you truly do touch and receive the healing power of Christ Himself.
Touch is important. Touch is powerful. Especially when done in faith. For faith properly receives what is offered—faith receives what is promised. Faith is produced through the hearing of the Word. Though the woman and the ruler saw Jesus with their physical eyes as a man, yet by faith they saw Him as He truly is—their Saviour. And by faith they clung to His Word of hope and promise. For the Word produces a spiritual seeing/touching in the heart. As it has in yours.
For faith leads you to this place. Faith calls you to this altar to touch with your hands and taste with your lips—the goodness of God—in the shed body and blood of Christ our Saviour. Christ has touched each of you with His life-giving mercy—raising you up from the spiritual death that sin had brought upon you. Jesus touches you—through His Word—in His absolution—through water, bread, and wine—to comfort and assure you that all He won for you with His own death and resurrection—is now and forevermore—fully and freely—yours. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.