THE TOUCH OF JESUS

HOMILY FOR THE 13^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

In the human biological make-up, there are five external sense organs: eyes, ears, tongue, skin and nose. These organs contain receptors that transport information through the sensory neurons to the appropriate places within the nervous system. The skin in particular is the organ for touch and feeling. It is the largest sensory organ in our body. This sense of touch is spread through the whole body. However, there are four kinds of touch that can be identified: cold, heat, contact and pain. At any point in time these kinds of touch come to us, our skins receive the sensation and sends information to the brain for interpretation. This accounts for the reason why we feel cold, warm, pain or react when there is an external force or touch from the environment. This is the sense of touch; and Jesus too had this sense. But beyond this sense of touch in Jesus is a divine power that is transmitted. In the Bible we discover that Jesus transmitted divine healings and power through all these sense organs, but the sense of touch gained more prominence. And today’s Gospel Reading (Mark 5:21-43) is a perfect example of this.

There are two miraculous episodes in the Gospel; one concerns a girl, and the other concerns a woman. While the former concerns the resuscitation of the whole self, the latter concerns the resuscitation of part of the whole self. While the former concerns the restoration of mobility to a static body, the latter concerns the restoration of wholesomeness to a mobile body. While the former involves a conscious effort of an individual to touch Jesus, the latter involves Jesus’ conscious effort to touch us. While the former involves twelve years of sickness, the latter involves twelve years of age. This is very interesting indeed. Both episodes involve the touch of Jesus. As the woman suffering from haemorrhage moved out in faith to touch the cloak of Jesus, the girl, whose father was Jairus received the touch of Jesus on her death bed. Some gain opportunities to go for the touch of Jesus while some get it from Jesus Himself. Whichever way it happens, the touch of Jesus emits power and healing.

In the first episode of healing, Jesus quickly asked: who touched me? The disciples saw this question as unwarranted since many people have been touching him. Here, we see the limitation of what is called common sense. The disciples took the common sense point of view. Of course, Jesus could not have avoided being touched and jostled in a crowd as such. This was a reasonable way to look at it. However, it also shows that that they never realized that there was an inner power that is exerted whenever Jesus healed others. Many a time, we rely on common sense way of seeing things. This actually may lead us to fail to realize what indeed others are going through. That something is easy for us does not entail that it will be easy for another person. We are almost blinded to see the ‘subjective’ reasons others may give up because we think that there is an objective explanation of the situation. Yes, we need common sense, but sometimes, we may have to pray for that sensitive insight which can see into the hearts of others.  

It is true that many had been touching Jesus, but these touches were not what Jesus was referring to. He was pointing to that particular touch that had emitted great healing out of him. The disciples could not understand until the cured woman came forward and reported herself. She came and confessed. Oh, what relief do we get after encountering Jesus in the sacrament of confessions!!! She had been healed already, but she needed that peace and calmness. Immediately she told Jesus the whole truth, her trembling disappeared. She was afraid to show herself, but when she later did, she discovered that not only her body was cured; her troubling mind too had now been calmed. This is the same touch of Jesus that we get in the sacrament of reconciliation.

She touched in faith. She had an intention. She believed that it was the appointed time of her healing. We must not forget that she wasted many resources in her effort to get cured. She had met many physicians on account of her sickness. But this time, she got her healing free of material charge. But actually, there was a charge –her faith. She got her healing from the Divine Physician who does not need the knowledge of herbs, but whose cloak (worn over His skin) became the ultimate chemotherapeutic machine for a one time treatment. Only but her faith!!! Think about how great your benefits if you develop such faith in Jesus Christ.

In the second episode, Jesus went to the dead girl, touched her by the hand and said: Little girl, arise. In the midst of the unrestrained distress of the mourners, there was this calm serenity of Jesus. As they were wailing and weeping, Jesus was calm and quiet. Why this difference? Jesus had perfect confidence and trust in God. They laughed him to scorn because they thought his hope was baseless. But the truth of our divine encounter is that what on merely human encounter is far too good to be true becomes blessedly true when God is there. We are left to imagine how their laughter turned into amazed wonder after they realized what God could do. There is no problem or travail beyond conquest when it is faced in God. We only need to laugh our problems to scorn and wait for the divine wonder that comes with amazement.

The mourners tried to ridicule Jesus, and actually saw no sense on what he was saying. They were indeed most probably planning on where and when to bury her, but that was not the plan of Jesus. His plan was to give the girl back to the parents alive and active (give her something to eat). He had already told the official not to give up but to have faith that the daughter would still live. It is God’s will that we do not suffer from ailments. He does not want us to be imprisoned by the shackles of death. He desires our wholesomeness and freedom. This is the message of the First Reading (Wisdom 1:13-15. 2:23-24). God desires our wellbeing. He does not rejoice in the destruction of the living. Jesus refreshes us daily.

Every day, Jesus touches us in his word and the Eucharist. We also touch Jesus in the Holy Communion that we receive. What benefit have we been able to make out of these encounters? Are we encountering Him in faith; or do we see this reception as a routine? I need to be touched, we need to be touched. May his touch constantly make us wholesome now and always. Amen. God bless you. Happy New month