“That Special Touch” Mark 5:21-34
This morning, I want to talk about something special. Something that only a Christian can understand and appreciate. What am I talking about? It is learning to use a special Kind of Touch. Not just the healing touch like a Doctor or a Nurse, but the special touch of Jesus Christ that cures all ills. What am I talking about, “The touch of Compassionate Love”.
The other night, Becky and I were looking at some of the “Special Things” that have been placed in our Family Bible over the years. What Special Things, you may ask? You know, mementos or as I like to call them, “the little pieces of our lives”, notable things that remind us of our love for each other, for instance, pictures of Little League teams and the Cub Scout Troops, and that Special Christmas Dance Recital. Wedding announcements, and pictures of the newborn babies or that epic family vacation to the Grand Canyon.
So, as we were strolling down memory lane, looking through our Family Bible, we found something special, a copy of the eulogy that Becky delivered at her father’s funeral. It was beautiful and she did a tremendous job. To this day, I don’t know how she managed to keep her composure as she spoke to a standing room only audience there at Normal Presbyterian Church that day. There were people from all different walks of life. Friends coming to pay their last respects. Friends that his life had touched down through the years. There were Business associates, Family Members, Golfing Buddies, Church Family Members, Shriners and Masons and a special group of people whom he had helped down through the years. It was something to see!
Contained in her Father’s eulogy, she read a very powerful rendition of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “What Is Success?” I would like to read it to you this morning.
What is Success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition,
To know that even one life has
breathed easier because you lived…
that is to have succeeded!”
That was Bob Craycraft, that was his Special Touch.
Without that Special Christian touch in our lives… our lives cannot really be successful! We can be highly educated, we can rise to places of prominence in this world, we can accumulate lots of wealth, we can even win numerous awards… but even after we have done all those things, if we have not truly loved, our lives are failures, and empty shells… Why, what is the difference? BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT LEARNED THE SECRET TO A MAGNIFICENT LIFE, we have missed the KEY COMPONENT and GOD’S MOST IMPORTANT LESSON… namely…
That the things that enrich our lives the most are freely given to us by God and the greatest of these is “Loving compassion”… Jesus called it “the most significant sign of discipleship.”
In John’s Gospel, He said it like this:
“A new commandment I give you…. that you love one another as I have loved you. By this, all will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35)
In or lesson today, Jesus is on His way to see a little girl who is critically ill… when suddenly He is interrupted.
As He is moving through a large enthusiastic crowd,… a desperate woman who has been bleeding non-stop for twelve years fights the crowd to get close to Jesus and touches the hem of His robe. Right then, the story tells us, her bleeding stops.
She thinks no one has seen her, so she drops back trying to lose herself in the huge crowd. But then, Jesus stops, turns around and asks: “Who touched me?”
His disciples are astonished and somewhat aggravated by His question.
“Who touched you?”
“What do you mean ‘Who touched you?’”
“The crowd is pressing in all around us… pushing and shoving. Everybody is touching everybody. What kind of question is that?”
But Jesus knows that it was not just a touch, it was a special touch. He begins to look around.
The woman had not expected to be found out. But now she fearfully steps forward and she tells Jesus…
* That she has had this bleeding for so long… over 12 years;
* And that she had tried everything… doctors, medicines, magic, home remedies, superstitions,… but to no avail… no improvement… in fact she has only gotten worse.
* She tells Jesus that she has heard about Him and His power to heal… and that she felt that if she could just touch His clothing, she could be made well.. and it worked!
* It worked! The bleeding stopped!
Jesus’ heart goes out to her, and He speaks to her tenderly: “Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your disease.”
Now, in this fascinating story, we see not only the compassionate spirit of Jesus, but also, we discover some of the key characteristics of compassion,… special qualities that we as followers of Jesus (with the help of God) need to cultivate in our lives.
Let’s take a look at some of these together.
I. FIRST, WE NOTICE THAT COMPASSION IS SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.
Compassion is aware, it is tuned in, it is responsive, and it is sensitive to the needs of others.
*Hundreds of people were pressing in upon Jesus that day in that crowded and busy street scene. Picture that in your mind…
They were pushing in around Him, rushing over to be near Him, pushing and shoving and clamoring, reaching out just to touch Him… yet out of all the people, Jesus became aware of one person, one need, one touch.
He felt something matchless and distinct as that woman tried to secretly touch the hem of His robe… how sensitive He was!
We need to be sensitive like that. How many times in our lives does someone pull at our robes, seeking a moment of our time, and we just brush them off. Even with our own Children, for instance, we find it hard to make time…. We say to them “afterwhile, Mommy or Daddy’s busy right now”. We have good intentions, expecting to fully get back to them, but so many times, that moment slips away, and is soon forgotten.
It reminds me of the movie Mary Poppins, by the way, my kids loved Mary Poppins, and we must have watched that movie 500 times when they were little. So, in the movie Mary Popins, we see there is a Father, George Banks, who is so wrapped up in his own affairs that he is missing the best part of his life,…… his Family….His Wife and Children
He thinks that the most important thing in his life is his job at the bank. He aspires to be on its Board of Directors. He is doing well at the bank, so well that he can afford a Cook, a Housekeeper, and even a Nanny to take care of his children. In the beginning of the movie, he is forced to hire a new nanny. And of course, Mary Poppins comes blowing in on the wind to fix the problem. Not long afterwards, Mr. Banks loses his job at the bank and is forced to realize the true riches of his life. His children. Burt the Chimney Sweep sings the wisdom of the whole movie wrapped in these words.
You've got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone
Though child'ood slips like sand through a sieve
And all too soon they've up grown
And then they've flown
And it's too late for you to give
Just that spoonful of sugar
To 'elp the medicine go down
The medicine go down, the medicine go down
.
Think about that relative in the nursing home or that brother that you haven’t spoken to in several months. Can you feel the tug at your robe, can you feel the compassion of our Christ?
That’s number one… Compassion is sensitive to the needs of others.
II. And COMPASSION IS GRACIOUS.
Notice how gracious Jesus is to the woman.
* He calls her “daughter” … an obvious term of endearment.
* He doesn’t fuss at her or criticize her or question her.
* He doesn’t condemn her for being superstitious.
* He doesn’t even give her a theology lesson.
* He just meets her where she is.
* He accepts her, encourages her and heals her in a gracious way. He doesn’t take the credit… (He gives her faith the credit.) “Your faith has made you well!” How gracious is our Lord!
Have you ever been around someone who is truly gracious? I mean a person who never speaks ill of anyone. It truly is a blessing. That is a trait of a genuine Christian. The word Gracious comes from the word Grace. If we enjoy the Grace of our Lord, how can we not be gracious to others.
Our Lord’s bigness of spirit, (our Lord’s love)… is a constant call and challenge to us to be compassionate, gracious people.
But, you know, it’s not enough to just feel it. We must do something about it. Compassion can’t sit still. Jesus shows us that over and over again. Compassion is love put to work. It is active!
I leave you with the words of yet another poet
Oscar Hammerstein II :
“A bell is not a bell till it’s rung;
A song is not a song til it’s sung;
Love is not put into your heart to stay,
Love is only love when you give it away.”
That’s how we can truly be successful as Christians.
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child,
a redeemed social condition,
or a job well done;
To know that even one life has
breathed because you lived…
that is to have succeeded.”
Amen.
