“In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with advanced leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.”
Jesus reached out and touched him. What a beautiful picture this verse paints. I can picture the eyes of Jesus beaming with love and adoration for his child as he heals him. Jesus truly does reach out and touch us in all our infection and sickness.
There is a woman in South Africa whose eyes radiate passionate love and adoration for a special community of people who live in a township called Ikageng. Wow! These people are so beautiful. Once you step into their neighborhood, children come running with big beautiful smiles, grabbing tight to your hands, and giving the warmest group hugs at the end of the day! It is truly a place to behold. This woman shared a story about a woman she met in this community. The woman she met was passing away from HIV/AIDS and her skin had begun to peel and fall from her body. Open wounds had covered parts of her body. The woman who loved her and Ikageng would hug, hold, and cover this woman in kisses. The woman who was sick had been reached out and touched though she had a sickness that made her an outcast, someone to stay away from. I love this woman’s heart as it is painting the love of Jesus. The love Jesus has for her, you, me, this woman, and the world.
To reach out and touch is the most beautiful way to live. To reach out and touch comes with stepping into risk. I am noticing a pattern here with love and risk! To love is to risk. In all aspects of love wither romantic love, brother and sister love, and loving our neighbor. Love is risky business! I am learning this so much as a direct support to people who have special needs, my greatest passion! I love my job so dearly, that I don’t feel that it is a job! I am so thankful for the people I get to be with each day. There are days when a person is in an agitated state and may become violent as part of their diagnosis. Though this person is risky to be around, they still need their basic needs met, and a little bit of love of course! It is a risk to get close to someone, they may hurt you, see your faults, and possibly even reject you. While these parts of loving may make you want to run for the mountain, loving and being loved is always worth the risk.
God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only son, Jesus. With the risk, that He would give His son to a world that was cruel. A world that could reject His love and offer of eternal relationship despite all His efforts. He loved anyway. So beautiful! Love simply loves. Without fear, hesitation, or expecting anything back. Love gets close enough to touch, close enough to snuggle a child who has lice, close enough to connect. Love is always the way to go. Love is Jesus illustrated before us. Reaching out to touch us.
