There were a lot of things I missed when I was living on my own. I missed the companionship of knowing someone else was nearby. I missed the occasional conversations and the companionable quiet. I missed having someone to share meals with. I missed having someone share in household chores. But the thing I missed the most? Hugs. I missed being hugged. I missed that human connection, that physical touch.
I got the occasional hug from friends or church members. But it didn't happen often. As a youth pastor, I've become a pro at giving side hugs. But they aren't the same as a full-on hug.
It's a significant thing, isn't it? Being able to reach out and touch someone? (Wasn't that AT&T's tagline in the 80's/90's?) So often, I think we take it for granted. After Mom passed away, I don't think there was anything I missed more than her hugs.
We're built and created for this human intimacy.
Imagine going years without any human contact. Imagine being ostracized and banished from a community, unable to connect with anyone.
In first century, Jewish culture that's exactly what happened to anyone unfortunate enough to contract leprosy. Leprosy is a disease that affects the nervous system and skin. It presents itself as a rash. One may experience reduced sensation to touch, they may experience numbness, joint pain, weight loss, eye damage, weakness, and hair loss. In severe cases, extremities begin to deteriorate - patients lose fingers, toes, legs...
It was thought that touching a person with leprosy automatically made one sick. In Jewish culture, they did whatever they could to avoid the spread of the disease. That meant banishing any who are sick from the community. It meant avoiding all contact with them. Any contact with the sick resulted in automatic banishment.
In Mark chapter 1, we see Jesus heal a man with leprosy. It's a quick scene in Scripture, just a couple short paragraphs. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," [the sick man] said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said.
Jesus reached out and touched this man! We have no idea how long this man had been sick, how long he'd been away from human contact. I know what it's like to get a hug from my dad after just a few months of separation. The feeling of his arms around me, enveloping me... There's nothing quite like it!
Imagine what this man must have felt, possibly after years of no human contact! Jesus reached out and touched him!! He must have leaned into that touch with force.
Jesus was never afraid of getting dirty. He was never afraid of loving the unlovable. Sure, he got frustrated by the selfish human ways of people, but more often than not he was moved by compassion for them. Seeing this man, suffering in his illness and isolation, Jesus' first response is to reach out and hold on to him!
Should our response be any different?
I got the occasional hug from friends or church members. But it didn't happen often. As a youth pastor, I've become a pro at giving side hugs. But they aren't the same as a full-on hug.
It's a significant thing, isn't it? Being able to reach out and touch someone? (Wasn't that AT&T's tagline in the 80's/90's?) So often, I think we take it for granted. After Mom passed away, I don't think there was anything I missed more than her hugs.
We're built and created for this human intimacy.
Imagine going years without any human contact. Imagine being ostracized and banished from a community, unable to connect with anyone.
In first century, Jewish culture that's exactly what happened to anyone unfortunate enough to contract leprosy. Leprosy is a disease that affects the nervous system and skin. It presents itself as a rash. One may experience reduced sensation to touch, they may experience numbness, joint pain, weight loss, eye damage, weakness, and hair loss. In severe cases, extremities begin to deteriorate - patients lose fingers, toes, legs...
It was thought that touching a person with leprosy automatically made one sick. In Jewish culture, they did whatever they could to avoid the spread of the disease. That meant banishing any who are sick from the community. It meant avoiding all contact with them. Any contact with the sick resulted in automatic banishment.
In Mark chapter 1, we see Jesus heal a man with leprosy. It's a quick scene in Scripture, just a couple short paragraphs. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," [the sick man] said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said.
Jesus reached out and touched this man! We have no idea how long this man had been sick, how long he'd been away from human contact. I know what it's like to get a hug from my dad after just a few months of separation. The feeling of his arms around me, enveloping me... There's nothing quite like it!
Imagine what this man must have felt, possibly after years of no human contact! Jesus reached out and touched him!! He must have leaned into that touch with force.
Jesus was never afraid of getting dirty. He was never afraid of loving the unlovable. Sure, he got frustrated by the selfish human ways of people, but more often than not he was moved by compassion for them. Seeing this man, suffering in his illness and isolation, Jesus' first response is to reach out and hold on to him!
Should our response be any different?