Pastor Tom Johnson, June 27, 2021
The Law of Moses are the many requirements and prohibitions that flow out of the Ten Commandments. Some of these rules can be difficult for our contemporary minds to understand. This morning we have two examples. The first is the woman living 12 years with bleeding. Leviticus chapter 15 states that she is unclean as long as the bleeding continues and must live separate from the community. Everything she touches—her bed, her clothing, other people, the tabernacle or Temple—everything she touches is defiled by her impurity—for 12 years! The second is the dead body of Jairus’ 12 year-old daughter. Leviticus chapter 21 states that to touch a dead body also makes one unclean. Numbers chapter 19 says that to even enter the home with a dead body in it would make that person unclean. One dared not touch these “untouchables.” If you did touch someone unclean, or if someone unclean touched you, it would make you unclean and you also would have to live on the margins of religious and social life.
That is what makes the faith and action of this woman bleeding for 12 years so bold. She dares to believe that Jesus would heal her if she just touched his clothing. Think of all the people, furniture, places, and clothing she defiled by her touch for 12 years. The clothing she touches gets defiled and people who touch her clothing get defiled. In her own mind, she flips her burden upside down. If she can just touch Jesus’ clothing, she will be well. She dares to enter a crowd of people pressing against one another to see Jesus. She dares to touch Jesus.
While all this is happening, Jairus dares to ask Jesus to lay hands on his daughter—to touch her and heal her. Jesus cannot get to the 12 year old girl soon enough. She dies. They tell Jairus not to trouble Jesus anymore. But Jesus plans to keep his promise to lay hands on his daughter. So Jesus dares to touch a corpse which would also make him ritually unclean. In each case, human touch is forbidden by the Law. In each example, someone dares to break the rules.
Sadly, we have our own societal and religious stigma we assign to certain people. There are still people living on the margins—not yet fully enjoying what it means to be a child of God or part of a loving and nurturing family or community. It is well-documented that newborns, infants, and toddlers who are deprived of loving and nurturing touch will not physically grow and can even die. There is real psychological and physical harm that has been inflicted on children who are separated from their families and those who would give them nurturing touch. There are devastating consequences from the idea that any of us is unworthy of the most basic need for human affection. We will live outside the margins of what we all need as those who are created in the image of God. We all need the touch of someone who has our best interest at heart.
We have yet to see the full devastating consequences of 15 months of social and physical isolation resulting from the pandemic. We dared not touch one another for months and months. We don’t want to minimize the toll of those who got sick and lost loved ones. But we also must not minimize the social and psychological toll. It is darkly ironic that the “me too” movement began shortly before this global prohibition of touch. We should note that there is unwelcome touch, harassment, and even assault. It is a violation because it exploits others. God has designed touch to nurture healing, wellness, and innocence—not to take it away.
That is what Jairus and the woman dare to believe—that Jesus’ touch is divine—Jesus is the nurturing and healing hand of God extended to every soul. They dare to approach Jesus for his touch. Jesus dares to touch them. What makes Jesus different is that the ritual uncleanliness of those bleeding and the dead is no threat to him. Jesus does not feel the uncleanliness of the woman enter his body. Jesus feels the power to heal her leave his body. It’s not what the woman transmitted to him but what he transmitted to her—his gracious healing. Jesus dares to touch those who are unclean because that is what he came to do. He did not come for the righteous but the unrighteous. He came for the downcast and the outcast—those living in isolation and on the margins. His touch transcends all the obstacles that we put between each other that prevent nurturing and healing touch. His touch goes beyond just a point of contact. He takes on our humanity. He shares our suffering. Soon, he will be arrested, imprisoned, and on the margins of the condemned and dying. He will be scourged and crucified.
Like the woman bled for 12 years, Jesus will nearly bleed out to death—hemorrhaging on the cross for the sins of the world. He will die. And like the 12 year-old girl’s death, Jesus’ death is mere sleep because of his divine touch. The third day, he will rise to touch the world with the same power of the resurrection. This morning, we dare walk into this crowd. We dare to press upon Jesus together as we seek his graceful touch in our lives. We dare walk up to the Altar. We dare extend our hands to receive the bread and the wine. Christ dares to extend his body and blood to us. With this touch and taste we have the assurance of forgiveness and his abiding presence in our lives. We have been touched by Jesus whose touch stops our hemorrhaging—and death by a thousand wounds. He takes our hands and raises us up to eternal life.
In patient trust await his leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er your Father’s pleasure
And all discerning love have sent;
Doubt not your inmost wants are known
To him who chose you for his own.
(“If You But Trust in God to Guide You” LBW 453, v. 2)
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