Jesus often healed people by touching them. I'm going to
look at two different instances of Jesus healing people in which, according to
the law, they could not be touched because of their uncleanness. But the touch
of Jesus, rather than defiling Him, made them clean.
The first is in Mark 1:40-42 where we read - "And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed." According to the law, in the book of Leviticus, chapter 13 and verses 45-46 we read - "As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." Lepers were not allowed to even come near anyone. They were unclean, but in the gospels we see Jesus cleansing lepers by touching them, and rather than being made unclean by their leprosy they are made clean by His touch. Also, according to the law the priests could only declare a person clean, but they had no power at all to heal.
The second incident is in Mark 5:24-35 where we read - "A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”" According to Leviticus 15 a person who had a bodily discharge could not touch anyone. If they did the person they touched would also be made unclean. Here, when this woman touches Jesus cloak, not only is He not defiled, but she is healed.
Both of these people are examples of man in his natural state. The sad state of these two and their complete helplessness to help themselves is the exact state of our souls apart from Christ. We are unclean and separate from God because of our sin and we are helpless to help ourselves. God is completely pure and He cannot tolerate sin. He cannot allow us to come near Him because of our uncleanness. But because of His great love with which He loved us He came near to us and with His touch He made us clean. because of His substitutionary death He has the power and authority, not only to declare us clean, but to actually cleanse us. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 7:23-28 - "The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever."
The first is in Mark 1:40-42 where we read - "And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed." According to the law, in the book of Leviticus, chapter 13 and verses 45-46 we read - "As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." Lepers were not allowed to even come near anyone. They were unclean, but in the gospels we see Jesus cleansing lepers by touching them, and rather than being made unclean by their leprosy they are made clean by His touch. Also, according to the law the priests could only declare a person clean, but they had no power at all to heal.
The second incident is in Mark 5:24-35 where we read - "A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”" According to Leviticus 15 a person who had a bodily discharge could not touch anyone. If they did the person they touched would also be made unclean. Here, when this woman touches Jesus cloak, not only is He not defiled, but she is healed.
Both of these people are examples of man in his natural state. The sad state of these two and their complete helplessness to help themselves is the exact state of our souls apart from Christ. We are unclean and separate from God because of our sin and we are helpless to help ourselves. God is completely pure and He cannot tolerate sin. He cannot allow us to come near Him because of our uncleanness. But because of His great love with which He loved us He came near to us and with His touch He made us clean. because of His substitutionary death He has the power and authority, not only to declare us clean, but to actually cleanse us. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 7:23-28 - "The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever."
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