The Difference between a touch and a touch-
Merry Monday by Parris Bailey
“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:25-34
There is a difference between a touch and a touch. The disciples got a bit annoyed with Jesus that day, when He asked who had touched him. They answered back, “The multitude is thronging Thee.” The verb used is sunthlibō which means “to press hard.” It is used of the pressing of grapes in the making of wine by crushing them. The Bible also implies that the crowd was suffocating them. They wanted to just get through the crowd and were hoping that Jesus could just leave well enough alone. But He perceived that virtue or power had gone out of Him so much that it overcame a present existence to effect a change. He began to look about Him, “Who was the one that touched Me on My clothes?”
The women felt something different start to take place in her body. The word used for her bleeding, was fountain. Can you imagine walking around with a flowing fountain for twelve years? No wonder she had spent all she had looking for a remedy. When she touched Him she felt by experience that the fountain had finally dried up.
The women finally came forward. I love the words, “Daughter, they faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of they plague.” He gave her the promise. He was telling her to go in peace, that she would no longer be tormented of this plague (which also means to whip, scourge or misfortune). She was healed in her spirit, soul and body and that continually. When Christ power touches our lives, we are healed not only physically but in our soul and spirit. This woman faced much more than just phyiscal sickeness. She needed to be made whole-totally and continually.
I believe it is the same today. While the world crushes in, who is actually touching Jesus? What a difference a touch can be! He can dry up your fountain of depression, disease and despair. It’s time to get out of the things that suffocate you and press into the only one that can set you free. This woman was at the end of her rope and we should all thank God that she got to the place of desperation. She pushed through the ordinary touch into the extraordinary. Others had been touching Him or should I say crushing Him all along. How has your touch been lately? Reach out to Hiim today, He has everything that you have need of. Touch Him and you will never be the same! The whippings, the scourgings and the misfortune can come to an end. All it takes is just one touch!