Read Matthew 8:1-3
Communicating Value
In Matthew 8, Jesus comes across a man with a very serious skin condition called leprosy. At this point, Jesus has built a pretty widespread reputation as a healer - the man himself even says, “Jesus, I know you can fix this if you want to.”
Jesus tells the man that he does want to, and he heals the man, which is great! But what is particularly noteworthy for our discussion is the way Jesus healed him.
Jesus could have healed him however he wanted to. In fact, a few verses later in Matthew 8:5-13 we see Jesus heal someone with just his words, without even being around the person who was sick.
And yet, Jesus chose to touch this man. Why?
Perhaps it was because leprosy was a disease that made someone “unclean” according to the Jewish Law. This meant that nobody would dare touch him, for fear of becoming unclean themselves. So this man, most likely for years, has had little to no physical contact.
Jesus knows that this man needs healing, but he also needs someone to value him enough to simply put his hand on his arm.
We communicate value to people through appropriate touch. With a significant other this can mean holding hands, with a friend this can mean a pat on the back.
Don’t miss the value of touch!